Name Of Exhibition: Marlon Griffith's Symbols Of Endurance

EXHIBITION REVIEW

Name of Exhibition: Marlon Griffith’s Symbols of Endurance
Course number: FA/ARTH 1900
Course Name: Art in the City (Fall 2015)
Course Info: Section A: Tutorial 14
Name: Melosha Ratnasingham
Student Number: 214402499
Name of TA: Melanie Wilmink
Course Instructor: Charlene Lau

Symbols of Endurance: Mimicking Viewers Experience through Art
Symbols of Endurance, at the Art Gallery of York University, displays the work of the procession, Ring of Fire, by Trinidadian artist, Marlon Griffith. The gallery brings life to the various ideas, costumes and action present from the project; it provides viewers with new knowledge of social awakening and experience. The AGYU strives to display Griffith’s process of preparing,
creating and executing the Ring of Fire procession, through his work, ultimately allowing the audience to become part of the project, while extending its intent of cultural connectedness through their experience.
Marlon Griffith used his skills from creating costumes for carnivals to produce a variety of intricate costumes to display interpretations for the seven grandfather teachings: wisdom, courage, respect, humility, honesty and love.
This commission was a collaborative piece involving three-hundred participants, within the procession, in which individuals were represented through different costumes. This included, “disability dancers from Picasso Pro and Equal Grounds, the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, members of Toronto’s Capoeira Angôla community, and young spoken word poets from Jane-Finch, Malvern and Regent Park.” Marlon Griffith wanted to use the Ring of Fire to be a representation of a “symbol of endurance, solidarity, and social awakening, [in addition to] raise critical awareness around accessibility in solidarity with persons with disabilities” (AGYU,
2015).
The Art Gallery of York University displays Marlon Griffith’s work and the symbols used, as inspiration and means for the project, and additionally, to unify the various cultures, groups and individuals that were part of the event. In the didactic, the gallery claims their purpose of Symbols of Endurance was to tell the story of the work from the “seed that planted the idea to the final image of people taking to the streets while enduring the relationships forged in between” (AGYU, 2015). However, they also immersed onlookers into the space, continuing to revive the processions' action into the spectator’s experience. The AGYU is composed of three spaces which the curator effectively uses to tell the story of the procession, by leading viewers through it.
Upon entering the gallery, on the left wall, a detailed seed and leaf are framed.
The seed has a feathery exterior with a small triangular shaped center; the light brown leaf has intricate details seen from the leaf’s complex interior structure. These objects are revealed as the artist’s inspiration for the project. To the left of the framed objects, a hallway leads to a large installation of black chevron shapes hung from the ceiling, and a collection of large arrows placed in the wall. Leading up to this installation are sketches for costumes on both the left and right walls, for the seven symbols. This large installation is a dominate piece that can captivate viewers; however, there is an isolated room behind the right wall that is overlooked. This isolated room is the “Archive Room”; it holds a variety of Marlon Griffith’s initial process work that displays the seven teachings for the project. Standing in front of the room, with the entrance on the left, the right wall carries different technical drawings. Some incorporate designs for individuals using mobile devices and designs for the different symbols. In the bottom right corner, there is a low platform with small scale models of costumes for the seven grandfather teachings, and a flat screen that plays a piece from the performance. Along the left wall are a variety of sketches, sketchbooks, notes, fabric swatches, colour palettes, and mask templates encased in glass boxes attached to the floor, and hung frames above
the boxes. This small room is the behind-the-scenes look at Griffiths process work for the Ring of Fire. The room presents spectators’ knowledge of all the work and thought put into the project, from planning costume designs, to choosing fabrics, to small scale models. The exhibit goes forth to display Griffiths dedicated work and thought process. “The Seed and Leaf,” and “Archive Room” share with viewers the background knowledge and hard work put in to create the three-hundred person procession. This gives them a chance to reflect on this dedication, ultimately emerging and connecting them to the project by making them feel part of this process.
The second gallery in the AGYU presents onlookers with the experience of becoming part of the procession itself. Upon entering the room, there are masks littered on the floor, hung on and from the ceiling. Parallel to the entrance, there is a wheelchair with a mask and blue wave-like forms hung from the ceiling, which seem to come off the chair. There are also two life-sized projections on the left and right walls of the actual procession, as well as audio playing powerfully in the space. A variety of other objects placed in the room merge to give the space a dynamic, lively, exciting vibe that spectators are engulfed into. Ultimately, this room presents individuals a view of how the procession took place. The life sized projections and background audio allows people to step into the moment, and help them feel included in the Ring of Fire. The action-filled room presents viewers with the opportunity to participate in the event by seeing the objects come to life from their sketches and the observers senses (sight, sound and feel), it connects them to the space and work. Again, the exhibit provides onlookers with the chance to experience the event through the artwork and objects placed in the space; at last giving more individuals the ability to relive the procession even after completion.
At the back of the gallery is a third space that holds a large projection of the procession filmed from a high point of view by a drone. The room is painted black with no other light asides from the projection, and a bench placed in the centre surrounded by ample space. On the wall parallel to the entrance, a mask emerges from the darkness, reflecting as a reminder of the procession and everything that it symbolizes. This room binds the project from beginning to end, from the seed to the sky. Viewers are invited to be taken over by the space and reflect on their journey of the project, and its process to execution. There is a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in the space. The room is simple with one mask, opposed to the other rooms that were hectic, filled with ideas, creativity, feeling and action, now to relief and happiness of completion. This room concludes the story told by the gallery spaces and the project, by giving the audience a new view point on the procession, as well as allowing them to see themselves in the project as a participant of the process, execution and ending.
The AGYU did a fine job incorporating Marlon Griffith’s personal ideals and intent for the project Ring of Fire of culture connectedness and awareness, as well as telling the story of the procession to viewers and bringing them through the journey that they could take part in. They capture Griffith’s intent for the project and revived it by bringing more people of different backgrounds, culture and groups into a singularity and allowing spectators to participate and go through the story so that they feel connected to the work. The exhibition successfully delivered on their word of sharing the story of the Ring of Fire through the symbols of endurance to the audience, by mimicking the artworks through the viewer’s experience of the space and objects.

References
AGYU. (2015). Ring of Fire. Retrieved from http://www.theagyuisoutthere.org/rofire/about-us/the-project