Pipilotti Rist Eyeball Massage at the Hayward Gallery

My knowledge of this artist was next to nothing before visiting the hayward (quite a few months ago now :S) but I am so glad I did, I came away disheartened because there was no way I could have produced such a show, even in a few years time, I thought/ think I will never be as pleased with my own exhibition as Rist should feel with this. Yes maybe a more beneficial constructive feeling would've been challenged or inspired to try harder do better, defeated isn't exactly going to produce me a good artwork. However I have persevered with my own work, which I won't talk about in this post..

Back to Rist. Her work as an overall summary is largely about how we experience film. The exhibition contains a number of her films, all presented in what we would say a bizarre way, although this is because we are used to experiencing film, on screens/projectors on the walls, predominantly, the only time I personally have witnessed films in any other way is at my dentists when it was usefully on the ceiling, right above my eyes.
The other thing about her work is the contents of her films. They have what I would call a definite 'fine art' feel. That is to say subjects or themes or contents of these films look at or experience things on another level to what the general public don't on a day to day basis.

For example in this particular film the subject is experiencing what I would call a sensual experience with nature. In the Hayward this film appears on three screens, behind which is a mirror with lots of cushions in the middle. Initially I sat with everyone else witnessing the film against the mirror but I felt like this might not be witnessing the film like it was intended so I lay in the middle on the cushions and watched it in the mirror.

This film has its own set to be shown in. The set almost seems fantasy, disaster or dream. The moon seems to have intruded a teenage boys room. The set is almost like a dolls house, in the hayward the set was darker than this. What I do notice is that the bed is empty which make me think less of the dream idea. But it does bring to mind childlike fairy tales and stories. 

Whats interesting about this film is its location. The film is projected onto the floor in a toilet cubicle in the female loo at the Hayward which gives it exclusive viewing to females. Which is pretty good for me. Its in just the one cubicle, so even if you did use the loo, you wouldn't necessarily get to see the film. I think because its such a bizarre thing and even if you see a notice, or a int of the film, by word of mouth or something, there is still an air of doubt. I found it brilliant. The film itself seemed about odd, bits of it reminded me of a book/film called 'I capture the Castle'  by Dodie Smith, there's a bit in it where the stepmother and the main character run around naked on the moors, which reminds me of the the sound of music too. In any case it felt slightly mad, the location of the film might have hindered this view. I think the location IS key, on the floor in a individual cubicle in a gallery. 

This installation contains three films (the knickers light isn't part of it) . On the far wall we have various objects, including tights, hats clothing, bottle, protective packing material etc.. projected on to this and the other wall appears to be natural/landscape scenes like those from a train or a road. The little white square almost in the corner of the room on the non textured wall, is of Rist talking on the train. But its just really of her mouth, chin and nose. On the floor is a model of a house and garden, alone, at the end of a road there is a film projected onto it, or in it. I'm not sure I really know what to make of the piece. I   like the house and garden probably because I like architectural programmes, and I had a dolls house when i was younger, and have the desire to build have a house of my own.
The film of Rist talking interests me because of the angle and focus of the camera, The zoomed in view  of her mouth in particular, I think this interests me as on my foundation course I filmed everyday things and focused in on the action too. For example my films of people brushing their teeth were focused in on the mouth. This although was to almost protect the identity of the person. Or maker them harder to distinguish and make the more likely to take part. I think those aspects of the piece I connect with most.

This tiny film on the floor is almost missable.

A film inside a shell.

Throughout the exhibition at the Hayward The curator in discussion with Rist have erected these thin/almost transparent vale like dividers  to separate film works. I think this has worked very well even benefited the films and given them a more 'Alice in Wonderland' mystic quality, particular in this piece, I almost image them to be like trees, which reminds me of films or even plays, for example midsummer nights dream. There are stuffed clothes on the floor which almost resemble dead bodies, or sleeping ones if you want to be less dramatic, the film itself is projected almost through the hanging curtains, fragmented and projected on the them. There are layers of curtains so if you view the film on them it is distorted. You can wander through the hangings, and  almost lose yourself. Which is quite an experience. I felt almost out of my body. But then the whole exhibition is almost out of body, like a dream.