#alexseton

Alex Seton presents a powerful response to a contemporary political issue in Australia in his installation Someone died trying to have a life like mine. His contribution to the 2014 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art references an incident in May 2013 where the lifejackets of twenty-eight asylum seekers were discovered washed up on the Cocos Island off the coast of Western Australia.[1] There are limited interpretations of the work from the viewer’s perspective and the title implies a memorial to an anonymous group of people likely lost at sea.

 As the ‘longest running survey of contemporary Australian art’[2] the Biennial presents a thoughtful examination and critique of the changing national psyche. The Biennial has a strong focus on ‘offer[ing] audiences an emotive and immersive experience’[3] and is a unique expression of the way in which contemporary artists engage with the world through a range of different media. The exhibition encompasses a broad range of issues and ideas that dominate our society today and together form the cultural identity of the country.

 This installation provokes a highly emotive response from the viewer and serves as a poignant reminder of the privileges held by many Australians that are commonly taken for granted. It questions the national attitude towards asylum seekers in both a personal and political context and encourages a moment of self-reflection and remorse for the twenty-eight unidentified victims, as well as countless other asylum seekers who have drowned at sea while trying to reach Australia.

 The installation is comprised of twenty-eight life jackets individually carved to scale in marble and strewn across the floor in a seemingly random configuration. The rough surface treatment of the material is a perfect mimicry of canvas material and the additional touches are so convincing that there is a moment of confusion for the viewer as they struggle to reconcile the soft appearance with the inherent hardness of the material. This initial disorientation forms ‘an intrinsic part of the experience of [the] artwork.’[4]

 Although the work does not relate specifically to the space in which it is exhibited it benefits from its placement, which shows understanding of the importance of ‘making visual connections between the works as well as the content’.[5] The space is dominated by an enormous landscape by Ben Quilty entitled The Island, which is linked conceptually to Seton’s own work and provides a menacing backdrop. In relation to its meaning the haphazard arrangement of the work is a re-enactment of the way it might have looked when the life jackets were originally found washed ashore.

  While the chosen medium of Wombeyon marble necessitates the technique of carving, the number of individual sculptures and the disconnection between them justifies the categorization of installation art. Conversely, the installation is not informed by the contents and materials of the actual gallery location and could be envisaged in any environment, defying the definition of installation art. Seton’s work can be considered both installation art and sculpture simultaneously.

 The traditional choice of material juxtaposes the contemporary nature of the subject and challenges the deep rooted associations of classical statuary in Western art. Through excellent craftsmanship Seton transforms the marble and ‘transports [it] into the realm of the everyday and familiar.’[6] His attraction to and familiarity with marble has origins in his childhood growing up in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales near a marble quarry. Seton utilizes his technically advanced skills to record and replicate everyday objects, capturing transient reality in still life.

 The work evoked personal feelings of solemnity and sadness as the intended meaning was gradually revealed in the title and background. It was shocking and shameful to learn that the incident received minimal coverage and no immediate rescue response, with the Australian Federal Police making a statement that it is common for debris to wash up on the coast of Cocos Island.[7] The emotional weight of the subject is literally conveyed in the heaviness of the marble.

 Ultimately the conceptual depth surpasses the substantial technical skill of the artist. It is hard for the viewer not to imagine the unidentified bodies and lives connected to the life jackets and Seton boldly questions our changing national psyche in relation to the contemporary issue of asylum seekers. Someone died trying to have a life like mine is a powerful political comment that forces acceptance of responsibility and is a worthy monument to the dead.

 [1] Dark Heart, 2014, Alex Seton, http://adelaidebiennial.com.au/artists/alex-seton/  

[2] Dark Heart, 2014, About the Exhibition,  http://adelaidebiennial.com.au/the-exhibition/

[3] Adelaide Festival, 2014, Dark Heart, http://www.adelaidefestival.com.au/2014/visual_arts/adelaide_biennial_of_australian_art-dark_heart

[4] Louise Martin-Chew, 2010, Alexander Seton: Malleable marble, http://artreview.com.au/contents/654700515-alexander-seton-malleable-marble

[5] Joanna Medelssohn, 2014, The 2014 Adelaide Biennial: ‘contemporary art as it was meant to be’, http://theconversation.com/the-2014-adelaide-biennial-contemporary-art-as-it-was-meant-to-be-23033

[6] Dark Heart, 2014, Alex Seton, http://adelaidebiennial.com.au/artists/alex-seton/