Text by art historian Camilla Jalving ; project vitavrap 2009 www.granaten.dk
Through the visual artist, sound artist and curator Vivi Christensen´s paint installation, exhibited in the old Ships Smith, the audience is invited right into the heart of the family. On four big paintings, held in aqueous, nearly transparent colours, Vivi Christensen describe scenes from the family life.
There are children sleeping in the rear seat of the car, playing on the floor, and lying in the sofa watching television, caught as if it was photography, a quick flash from everyday life. Across the paintings video shootings from the artist’s home are projected. Everyday details such as a bluebottle, crawling on a window frame, a curtain flapping in the wind. When the lights are switched on, the artist steps forward into the paint and video installation, for with a crispy and thin voice to sing two songs; One about her childhood and the other to her husband. Without distance and irony the artist lets us see and look upon a part of life, which is often invisible, whilst being that which fills the most of every day life for most people.
The Artist shows family life with all its triviality, conflicts, quite pleasures and moments of silent blessings. It is neither sensational nor outrageous, but an example of a life and an attitude towards life.
Text by art historian Cecilie Bepler;
Text by art historian Cecilie Bepler;
The visual and sound artist Vivi Christensen works concentrated on a cross aesthetic from its starting point. On one hand, the works seem to ember of photographic realism through its similarity with the snapshot form, but on the other hand the paintings contain and enhance a depth and a picturesque expression, which differ from each other considerably. The choice of motive and narrative is however quite clear, since Vivi Christensen is concentrating on very close relations – in other words the family through out her images.
And the emotions is completely inside out, you can almost feel the emotion, the content seems to mime. But at the same time she leaves an objectivity back, which enables the viewer to reflect on the private sphere she draws in her artwork. It is as if she keeps a distance and through this one feel a distinct objectivity in the narrative. It is quite well-thought of by Vivi Christensen to remain the objectivity in the private sphere, because the private often has a tendency to become enclosed in solipsism, but in Vivi Christensen´s works it appears obvious, that the private always is individual and therefore an individual notice and contemplation.