In No Cite There is Surrender

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‘In No Cite There Is Surrender’ (2015)

Tin Roof, Dundee

An exhibition featuring Natasha Dijkhoff & James Lee

Dijkhoff and Lee utilise two diametrically opposing visual styles which conform to two predominantly 20th Century forms of abstraction: Natasha Dijkhoff’s use of ‘expressionism’ and James Lee’s adoption of ‘minimalism’. These two dichotomous styles of abstraction are used as a means by the artists to convey two distinct ideas: Natasha’s interest in ‘expression’ and James Lee’s understanding of ‘resistance’.

For this exhibition, both artists have been working to mutually imposed creative restraints- a tactic the artists themselves arrived at. For example, Natasha’s works utilise a wide and varied palette, whereas James’ tones are muted or neutral; Natasha’s works contain highly expressive gestures whereas James’ contain no direct mark making by the artist; Natasha’s images are often the result of a mechanically aided printing process where James’ works are almost always one offs.

The exhibition title is taken from a line in a poem written by Natasha that has been embedded within a screen print. The words of this poem are partially obscured, with some words of the poem being distorted or broken down into their constituent marks. This act is a good example of the ethos in the exhibition: understanding expression as something that is pre- verbal, pre-cognitive,and even more radically, something that also belongs to the non-human; an attempt by the artists to capture ‘gestures’ or ‘actions’ outside of the written word or the regime of representation. This attempt explores the points at which mark making can become representation ( language or imagery) or the point at which this representation breaks down and becomes meaningless, returning to the primal mark or gesture

Supported by the Dundee Visual Artist Award Scheme.