the disappearance of sir w.d. chosen
Tucked away in an obscure corner of the Union Building at the Hobart campus of the University of Tasmania is the frosty white orifice of the Fine Arts Gallery. A gallery reserved for the funky fresh shows of fine art students and emerging artists, the Fine Arts Gallery has played host to exhibitions as diverse and daring as Duncan Robinson's minimalist explorations into the fine art of video static and the elegant 'bookish' talents of popular Tasmanian performance artist, Brigita Ozolins. The early autumnal offering was The Disappearance of Sir W.D. Chosen, an exhibition drenched in myth and legend conjured up by recent Masters graduate, Chris Downes. Hailing from Tennessee and inspired by the storytelling talents of his Southern grandmother, Downes combined aspects of his old world heritage and a grisly passion for tales of a supernatural flavour to explore the use of interactive storytelling and illustration in a contemporary art space. Centred on the fictitious facts surrounding the unexplained disappearance of botanist Sir W.D. Chosen in 1911, Downes spun a macabre tale of murder and mystery spiked with a sour dash of malevolent ectoplasm. With an intent to physically and mentally plunge the viewer into the plot, white doors adorned with outstretched hands opened onto a lush red velvet curtain brandishing the words, 'Come my child, walk through these doors. Embrace my reality and forget yours'. With a series of large finely detailed pen and ink illustrations, layers of fabric and antique props, Downes achieved the full effect of immersive storytelling with enthusiastic zeal. The adventure began as the viewer passed through the doors and was guided around the story by an abundant twirl of fabric, curling around the