Eleanor Gates-Stuart

The interpretation of art is an incredibly diverse area of observation. The processes involved in the creation of Eleanor Gates-Stuart’s print collection have formed work which on many levels can reveal a different understanding and interpretation. This collection works as a documentary on the work of gatescherrywolmark, three artists who used their individual mediums to create collaborative works. For the last five years Gates-Stuart has been a part of gatescherrywolmark. This was an international collaboration between artists using the media of printmaking, digital print and writing. The work in this collection is effectively a continuation of that, but in this case there is only one artist. This collection follows a similar format to that of gatescherrywolmark. Some of the images and writing have been recreated to form the basis of this collection and make its documentary style more effective. The purpose of many documentaries is to examine and explore an idea from a detached perspective. The medium used for this is usually film, but the same idea has in this case been recreated using print. Within this documentary are many sub-sects exploring slightly different aspects that underlie the work of gatescherrywolmark. By examining these sub-sects in detail, the deeper levels of relationships between line, colour, space and text become evident. For example, the ‘Scribbles’ works reveal a partnership through the collaborative relationship between seemingly arbitrary marks. This collaboration creates the direction, it forces one mark to guide another and ultimately form the resulting piece. In other works, the idea of a virus is explored as a physical presence. As the virus is also an artificially created presence it exists as a constructed object rather than a sound or voice. The way in which they exist within the works makes viruses seem to “cast members of another piece of work”. Viruses are a component of the composition of the work, as such they represent time and thought through this and form an additional element. When closely examining the content of various prints it becomes evident that simple elements such as text and colour are used in very symbolic ways. Through this they are used for equally individual and important purposes within the works. The use of text in a fragmented nature is an excellent example as it can be seen either in a very complex, busy nature or as whole text deconstructed making no sense. Text loses the significance it held within its original context, but gains new purpose in a symbolic way through its application in these works. Images in the work take on meaning that they otherwise would not hold and so almost parallel the way in which text is applied. The two visual mediums lift each other within the work; written text is lifted through the iridescence of the colours, as images are significant in new ways when surrounded by text. This collection crosses the boundaries between traditional print and that of a more contemporary experimental nature. The intention to create a documentary of past work and the processes surrounding the creation of this is achieved remarkably. Not only have ideas been explored but new pathways have also become open potentially leading this work into completely new areas. Kane Stuart  

Biography: Eleanor Gates Stuart is a digital artist and well-established printmaker in her own right, recently producing ‘arcv.pls.txt.scrb.spc.spt.vs.eleanor.gates-stuart’, her documentary satire resulting from the re-media of video archive, publication, traditional print and transcript of gatescherrywolmark. In recent years she has chosen to work and exhibit collaboratively with many other artists, such as in her current Australian partnerships with designer, Zelda Trione and composer / sound artist, Lea Collins. Eleanor, Zelda and Lea all formed professional links and interest whilst working together at the Centre for New Media, ANU. These collaborations are producing a new working practice, exploring ideas in relation to the increasing collaborations between art and technology, and also beginning to provide new and challenging definitions of research and ownership, particularly in sound, language, and digital information. * Since 1997, Eleanor has been part of an international partnership, gatescherrywolmark. The collaboration is between three women, including Jean Cherry (UK), a visual artist/actor and Dr. Jenny Wolmark (UK), a writer/critic. The work of gatescherrywolmark emerges from the creative web of discursive connections that exists between the three members of the group and is informed by the significant differences in their practices and subjectivities. Eleanor has been instrumental in bringing the collaboration into existence and in furthering the technological interventions that have enabled gatescherrywolmark to bring metaphor and practice together in digital terms. Their work has so far included exhibitions in the UK, Australia and USA, recent conference publications including a book entitled 'Disruptive Signals' (1999), and a digital video ‘Logical Aesthetics’ in collaboration with Paul Mosig and Jen Kingswell. * Eleanor graduated from Chelsea School of Art, London, in 1982, majoring in printmaking. Prior to her postgraduate degree, she had been awarded a fellowship at Sunderland University (formerly Sunderland Polytechnic) to continue her art practice and exhibit her work. A prestigious award given to a young artist following undergraduate degree studies. Since then, Eleanor continued to win residencies, a DAAD scholarship to work in Germany, awards, grants and commissions, maintaining an active international exhibition profile, curating and directing arts events and continuing her research. * Running parallel to her arts practice, Eleanor has a significant reputation in education, with a strong belief and commitment to pedagogical development in the creative arts. In the UK, she has led principal positions, innovating and leading new developments involving multiple partnerships and organisations. In 2001, her experience in fine arts through to design and new media, brought Eleanor to the Australian National University to be Head of the Australian Centre of the Arts & Technology ACAT, newly established as the Centre for New Media Arts. The outreach arm of the Centre has included the yearly new media performance events ‘DUST’, held at the National Museum of Australia and establishing the public New Media Lecture Series program with the NMA in bring emerging and established artists to Canberra.  

Country: Australia

E-mail: eleanor.gatestuart@anu.edu.au

Site: artzgate