DP ART EXHIBITION - Chase Butel

Chase Butel

Peace within Chaos

Medium: Acrylic paint, charcoal, and soft pastels

Size: 69 x 100 cm

This piece depicts the self-contained environment of the shopping centre whose atmosphere seems to be independent of external influence. The dark colours and lines represent the physical structure of the building; the yellow, neon lighting and green, the artificial components of nature. The white border brings a feeling of disconnection from the outside world, neither good nor bad, while providing a sense of peace as this environment can be therapeutic.

Just for the sake of it

Medium: Clay and acrylic paint

Size: 18 x 24 x 8.5 cm

This sculpture of rotten food shows the temporary bliss of fast food. The mould and spiral represent the conflict between the desire to buy vs the desire to satisfy hunger. Fast food by its nature provides instant gratification, it is not good for you but is cheap and addictive. The tray links this piece to resemble a food court. The hypnotic trance is reflective of the continuous cycle and drawn feeling one has to spend money. This shows the marriage of industrialisation and consumerism of food.

Artificial Reality

Medium: Digital manipulated photography on plexiglass

Size: 80 x 120 cm

The shopping centre deliberately creates a sense of welcome and warmth. This piece focuses on this physical environment as well as its effect on people. The modified image reflects how we are manipulated within that space. The material of plexiglass was used as it makes it look plastic and synthetic, like a product. The strong vivid colours and use of lines reveals the unreal and fake design of this artificial world, with the sole purpose of separating the customer from their money.

I have a…

Medium: Clay and paper

Size: 42 x 30 x9 cm

Some people are confronted by an addiction to shopping. This sculpture was created by huddling together these clay receipts to represent the build-up of these sins. The sculpture shows a small bag that has been discarded with the receipts having fallen which links to the purchase of superfluous items. Receipts are evidence that holds you accountable. This applies pressure and the feeling of guilt, however, most of the time people throw away their accountability to stay in ignorant bliss.

See within

Medium: Mixed medium of wood, glass, acrylic paint, clay, and a light bulb.

Size: 30 x 42 x 15 cm

This piece is a perfect form of self-reflection. Shopping centres by their design include many windows which reflect you as you shop. When you see within the glass you see within yourself.

The distorted bag was created to be melting under the pressure of the light bulb. This reflects the pressure we feel and the uncomfortableness within the store due to the harsh lighting which can make you feel disorientated. The box itself imitates a lush product set up from an actual store.

Ever-changing Ambience

Medium: Soft pastels on canvas

Size: 30 x 40 cm

This is an observation piece that captures the aura of individuals. Whenever I enter a store, the immediate energy and liveliness are not derived from the physical environment but from the people. Each figure is surrounded by colours, reflecting their individuality. The people are represented minimally through the use of simple lines, this brings focus onto their auras. It is the infectious nature of exchanging energies with those around you that creates a strong sense of this environment.

Empty Handed

Medium: Acrylic paint, watercolour and charcoal

Size: 30 x 42 cm

This piece is about the three different stages of shopping that I have experienced; excitement, hitting a wall, and leaving empty handed. Each work has elements that intentionally are the same such as the lines, but, the texture, colours, speed at which the lines were made as well as the mediums change.

This reflects that I have an overarching goal when shopping, which does not change, however, each piece showcases my evolving feelings.

Curatorial Rationale

My exhibition explores the theme of shopping. My objective was to showcase artworks that reflect this theme in several different ways; through various mediums of acrylic paint, watercolour, charcoal, soft pastels, clay as well as digitally manipulated photography and by expressing different meanings circling that theme. By looking through a consumerist lens, I interpreted the true intentions of shopping centres, as well as sharing my own personal experiences. At the beginning of the IB Visual Art Program, I was skilled at working with photography and this has been the basis for most of my works. The journey for the majority of my pieces stemmed from a series of photographs that I took and developed. Within my art, I prefer to draw upon my own personal stories because it feels more authentic. Growing up I had noticed a serious issue in the consumer lifestyle and wanted to address this. It is a very relevant and topical issue that I am strongly passionate about.

The artworks ‘Artificial Reality’, ‘Lost in a maze’ as well as ‘Peace within Chaos’ were drawn from the inspiration of the artists, Andreas Gursky and David Hockney. The themes and techniques which they explored had a significant influence on these three pieces. Andreas Gursky challenged consumerism in a few of his photographs and this was something that was relevant to me. In some of his large-scale photographs, he captures the shopping centre environment. During the creative process, I was attracted to his photographic style. On the other hand, David Hockney sparked an appeal when it came to his quirky techniques and style. His collection of collages had a significant impact on the outcome of these three final pieces. My four artworks, ‘Empty Handed’, which was inspired by the style of Kandinsky Bauhaus, ‘Lost in a maze’, ‘Everchanging Ambience’, and ‘Peace within Chaos’ explore something more personal. The meaning behind these pieces came from a combination of personal relevance as well as observations I have made.

Within my exhibition, each piece is connected to the experience of shopping. Through the presentation, I tried to create the feeling of a store by displaying the sculptures assembled on crates next to each other. Directly above, is a depiction of the stores themselves and my feelings surrounding them. The layout of my exhibition is designed to draw the viewer from right to left. I did this as I was trying to represent the journey of shopping as it starts with the desire (‘See within’), the product (‘Just for the sake of it’), and the action of purchasing it (‘I have a…’). The placement of the artworks ‘Peace within Chaos’ and ‘Artificial Reality’ are both intentionally positioned high up to grab the attention of viewers such as posters and advertisements do. Although, when the viewer looks closely one can see that there are smaller scaled artworks.

This is similar to the experience of shopping, how a store window entices a consumer in. I chose ‘Peace within Chaos’ and ‘Artificial Reality’ to be my statement pieces because it effectively conveys my overarching purpose as it allows viewers to feel as though they are in a shopping centre. I created my eight pieces and arranged them within my exhibition with the viewer in mind. I considered how to communicate my meaning effectively and in a creative way. I set out to create a sense of information overload for the viewers. I achieved this through the use of different mediums; sculptures, paintings, and digital arts. Encouraging the desire to look at everything, which can be slightly maddening. This emulates one's experience within a store. The use of a range of mediums represents what one typically encounters when shopping. In a store environment, it is not common for there to be the same type of product but rather a variety that attracts the consumer. Through this, I intended to make my exhibition inviting as they explore this fascinating world.

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