Stanley Kubrick: Taming Light


Stanley Kubrick is my cinematic idol. He died ten years ago, in 1999, shortly after completing Eyes Wide Shut. As a devotee, I wanted to mark that sad anniversary but in a way that showed how his images and the emotions they evoke are still with us.

So, inspired by a Shining graffito I photographed in Berlin, I decided to host an exhibition of painting, photography and illustration inspired by Kubrick's life and films.

The result is Stanley Kubrick: Taming Light, which runs at the Light House cinema, Smithfield in Dublin from October 1st - 31st.

The exhibition is comprised of new work from a roster of established and emerging artists I put together over six months this year. I am absolutely delighted with the quality, intensity and tender-hearted homage the artists have shown to Kubrick and his films. The show is non-sales, not-for-profit and free to Light House visitors.

The image above is the exhibition poster, designed by the extraordinarily talented Martin Ansin, a Uruguayan artist and illustrator who captured Kubrick and his indelible characters perfectly. The poster is available as a print (in a limited edition of 250 only) at the Light House cafe, signed and numbered by Martin. It is a beautiful, desirable object.

I want to thank all of the artists for taking part in the show and paying their tribute in such a wonderful way. I also want to thank the Light House, for allowing me to commandeer their space for a month, and thank Kubrick, for the films.

If you have Twitter, why not follow the show, or join the Facebook group

The exhibition has a dedicated website, designed and built by the ever-so patient Niamh Redmond, at www.kubricktaminglight.com.

John

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I might go see this exhibition as I'm a huge Kubrick fan and I'm about due for another visit to the beautiful Lighthouse cinema, but are there any pieces which go deeper than merely re-imagining the profound and meticulously plotted imagery of his films in a pop-culturey way? I ask because I'm mainly fascinated by Kubrick's technical innovation and expert insight into the human condition which I feel is the true validation of his works as "genius".

clom said...

For bobyjoblah:

Jane & Louise Wilson's work "Unfolding the Aryan Papers" manages to explore one of Kubrick's abandoned projects, his fascination with research & archives as well as responsibility and truth in representing our past.

http://www.animateprojects.org/films/by_date/2009/unfolding

Unknown said...

Stanley Kubrick made a good film with - was it paths of Glory. Late 50's, kirk douglas. I think that's what it was. Since then he produced nothing worth watching. Pretentious rubbish the lot of it. Clockwork Orange, dated bewilderment. 2001 ASO - what the hell was that. Eyes wide shut. Say no more. The Shining - how to take a reasonably good story and turn it to shite.

God save me from Stanley and his like. Did no one ever stand up and whisper in his ear, "Stanley, get a real job, this is all crap".
Obviously not.

Phil RetroSpector said...

Just a quick note to congratualate you on the Stanley Kubrick Taming Light exhibition.
As a self-confessed son of a Kubrick obsessive,
(my poor mother has had to share my father with him for the past fourty years or so)
I wish I had known about your brilliant exhibition earlier,
but felt I must pass this on to you regardless...

I give you Sexual Clockwork

http://vimeo.com/1512144