Artist : David Rowan
Title : The Dark River
Date(s) : 2014
"Running from Waseley Hills in Worcestershire to Birmingham’s Spaghetti Junction, the River Rea is a comparatively small river, often occluded by buildings and almost forgotten in a city more famous for its canal network. The Rea is, however, the subject of a video installation by artist David Rowan showing at mac, Birmingham. Entitled ‘The Dark River,’ the work seeks to explore and uncover facets of its unique character."
"In moving images that glow against the black gallery wall, the colours of sky, bushes and red brick structures are vivid in bright sunlight, dappled by the trees. The river narrows and widens, rushes and then pools. Two young boys play football in the water and two other people ride bicycles through shallower sections of the river. Some of the lining walls are covered with graffiti and the lush vegetation is kept wild by a lack of human intervention."
What I found interesting was how it was a simple idea yet captivated me as an audience to see what would happen in each film. I like the way it is presented in more than one film, I think this will be something that I will think about in the future.
"Rowan’s slices of time and space allow for a kind of distillation or preservation of these fleeting moments within the Rea’s course. Ultimately, the thing that makes this installation most engaging is its specific context. The river must be crossed to enter and exit mac, and therefore when viewing Rowan’s work, the Rea runs just a few metres away from one’s feet."
How it is displayed.
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