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Featuring the work of eleven young artists Presence marked the disappearance of Process Gallery from the Brisbane art scene. An artist run space specialising in experimental contemporary art, Process was in operation for less than a year. Curated by Paul Wrigley, Presence dealt broadly with the physicality of sculpture and the relationship between viewer and art object.
The artists included Shawn Ashkenasay, Ann-Louise Buck, Adam Donovan, Jane Gallagher, Annette Hale, John Harris, Wanita Jones, Belinda Parslow, Colin Reaney, Charles Robb and Daniel Templeman. The exhibition was accompanied by a curious, poetic statement from Chris Davey and a brief text from Niko Vuletic.
The curatorial 'theme' of Presence allowed for a great deal of scope and, not suprisingly, the artistic responses were varied. From Charles Robb's critique of the presence of art in the marketplace to Jane Gallagher's nail polish crosses titled presents, a number of works in the show were based on a witty utilisation of everyday items. While Vuletic introduced issues of subjectivity and objectivity in engaging with sculpture, the artworks themselves seemed less concerned with relationships of space and form than with issues of identity, (dis)functionality and social satire.
Ann-Louise Buck hung a series of rings from lengths of string, which were placed at various points in the gallery. These rings were attributed to their owners, and the retrieval of one ring after the opening night illustrated the personal attachment associated with items of jewellery. The very absence of this one ring from the series in the gallery forced the viewer to construct an imaginary life for it, thereby asserting a presence more firmly than if it was actually there. Shawn Ashkenasay's installation Memory of My Country