My interest in triptychs is spatial. The physical separation of the tripartite composition is intriguing to me because fundamentally it is an architectural discussion of time. The act of darting the eyes from one panel to the next, the requirement of the viewer to conflate the information into a single mental composition, it is very filmic. There exists the suggestion of a sequence, of an order or pattern. It becomes an expression of longevity and continuity.
The obvious religious references not withstanding, the triptych is an exercise in space. Less interesting to me is the narrative suggestion of the triptych. The suggestion of a narrative assumes that there is a defined result of experiencing the triptych that is either correct or false. This determinism does not interest me.
Instead, I prefer to engage the triptych in its spatial capabilities. The triptych in this piece isn’t as evident upon first look. Rather, the triptych is the direct result of the seemingly arbitrary vertical lines affixed to the inner surface of the mirrors. These lines act as a registration, giving definition to the otherwise formless interior of the reflections. Looking into the frame, one sees the first pattern as dark lines that one must look through. The second panel of the triptych is the other mirror that has the identical pattern as the first but the depth of the box distorts the pattern, allowing it to be seen. Finally the third pattern is the reflection of the first, this time from the front. The pattern is repeated infinitely through the non-space of the piece.
Ultimately, Triptych 01 is an experiment into deliberately formed non-space; an experiment in indeterminacy, without the mess.
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Status: Completed 2009
Location: Sydney NSW Australia
Gallery: DAB LAB Gallery
Curator: Aanya Roennfeldt
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