Mark Dutney, Helene Grove, Marshall May
In the recent exhibition-installation , titled Make an Appointment to See Me Again, Please, by Mark Dutney, Helene Grove and Marshall May, art and medical practice have again formed an unlikely marriage. This latest collection of works by the three Bunqaberg artists/doctors, is the followup to their exhibition, The Doctor Is In-The Doctor Is Out.
Life experiences, coupled with the daily routines and rigours of medical practice, form the basis from which the images are derived. Ranging from the didactic imagery of Grove's Man series, to Dutney's serendipitous exploration of the commonplace in the form of a stethoscope, to the quiet ceramic sculptural forms of Marshall May, there are diverse elements of gravity, superficiality, irony and humour throughout.
Dominating the show, both in scale and location, Dutney's work continues to explore an ongoing theme-that of the kite. Since his first solo show in 1990, the kite has been a constantly recurring image, but now he takes its shape a step further-beyond the canvas and into the broader gallery space.
Through exploring the possibilities of the stethoscope as stencil, Dutney made the connection between a kite tail in flight and the form of a dangling stethoscope.1 A conceptual link has developed, resulting now in works such as kiteshaped canvasses supported by loosely spiralling tails arranged in a freestanding group. These works hover menacingly in one corner, dancing in the breeze created by a nearby fan, and adding a touch of the surreal. Constantly shifting shadows cast against the surrounding walls echo the sharp angularity of the kites, contrasting with the organic tails to heighten the effect of the almost comical, floating and bobbing forms.
A companion to each of the kites