review as glossary: Courtney Sennish @ johansson projects

Guide Me - Paradise
Work by Courtney Sennish
January 28 - March 19, 2016

Johansson Projects 
2300 Telegraph Ave. Oakland, CA
Hours: 1-5 Thurs - Sat & by Appt.

​In this Review as Glossary, we feature the work of Courtney Sennish, currently on view at Johansson Projects in Oakland. Review as Glossary is our signature critique platform, and our namesake, which offers readers a way to build their own contextual relationships with the work. 

---

Johansson Projects has unique architecture, and they have repeatedly used the space in interesting ways. The Jay Nelson and Rachel Kaye show In Concert was a particularly noteworthy installation, incorporating complex build-outs using ply wood, which echoed the industrial particle board floors permanently in place.

Sennish’s works plays off of the gallery’s architectural mix, as well as complimenting its urban location. Her stark and disjointed objects act as remnants of experiential dissidence; those moments when memories are merely fragments. Conjuring the work of Gordon Matta Clark or Rachel Whiteread (though on a much smaller and non-invasive scale) her objects remark upon the precariousness of architecture and the notion of relics as objects.

The objects appear as archaeological specimens, but are in actuality made from scratch, using surprisingly light-weight materials that belie their appearance. The sculptures incorporate quirky and awkward gestures and reconfigurations of familiar objects that resemble glitches, as if from a cropped and pixilated screen. Several works include photographic processes, adding a metta layer of replication and documentation to the industrial and man-made references throughout. 

---

artificial

- humanly contrived often on a natural model   man-made
- having existence in legal, economic, or political theory-caused or produced by a human and especially social or political agency
– based on differential morphological characters not necessarily indicative of natural relationships 

ruins

Ruins are the remains of human-made architecture: structures that were once complete, as time went by, have fallen into a state of partial or complete disrepair, due to lack of maintenance or deliberate acts of destruction. Natural disaster, war and depopulation are the most common root causes, with many structures becoming progressively derelict over time due to long-term weathering and scavenging. – wiki

construction

Construction is the process of constructing a building or infrastructure. Construction differs from manufacturing in that manufacturing typically involves mass production of similar items without a designated purchaser, while construction typically takes place on location for a known client.

constructivism

Constructivism is a theory of knowledge that argues that humans generate knowledge and meaning from an interaction between their experiences and their ideas. It has influenced a number of disciplines, including psychology, sociology, education and the history of science.
More on Constructivism here.

experiential

​Experiential learning is the process of learning through experience, and is more specifically defined as "learning through reflection on doing".  Hands-on learning is a form of experiential learning but does not necessarily involve reflecting on their product.  Experiential learning is distinct from rote or didactic learning, in which the learner plays a comparatively passive role.

---

Courtney Sennish Repeat Patterns 2014 Mixed media panel 48" x 72" x 4" :: curb 6" x 6" x 36"

dystopia

A dystopia (from the Greek δυσ- and τόπος, alternatively, cacotopia, kakotopia, or simply anti-utopia) is a community or society that is undesirable or frightening. It is translated as "not-good place", an antonym of utopia, a term that was coined by Sir Thomas More and figures as the title of his most well-known work, Utopia. Utopia  is considered by some, a blueprint for an ideal society with no crime or poverty. Written in 1516, it describes an imaginary republic ruled by reason and intended to contrast with the strife-ridden reality of contemporary European politics.
​Visit this link to purchase: Utopia.

Courtney Sennish Everyday Encounters 72" x 84" x 42" It Was Just This Time Last Year 9.5" x 14" Mixed media, 2016 (each)

Courtney Sennish Guided By Nonlinear Motivations 2015 Mixed media 54" x 30" x 18"

All images courtesy of Johansson Projects and the artist.