The Presence of Absence

Chanced upon the work of two artists with concerns similar to 

mine-how to manifest the unseen into a visual form. Alwar 

Balasubramanium investigates phenomenon like Gravity, Light, 

Darkness,Electricity. He is interested in capturing traces  of  

air, fire, sun, breath, shadows in his sculptural works.

http://www.ted.com/talks/alwar_balasubramaniam_sculpture_of_substance_and_absence#t-857957

My favourite work of Balasubramanium is the one in which the 

entire work slowly evaporates over the years because it is made 

of a air freshener containing the chemical  paradichlorobenzine. 

The tangible sculpture dissipated into a intangible thing like 

smell which was inhaled and therefore consumed. The collector has 

invested in the work knowing it would depreciate into 

nothingness. Or the converse in "Emerging Angels"  the 

evaporating material revealed a fibreglass sculpture over a large 

period of time.

Charbel Joseph H Boutros's artworks play games of "Obscurantism" 

with the viewer, purposely leaving a part of the work absent and 

asking the viewer to complete the work with his/her own sense of 

belief.He likes to portray something that is hidden or escaping 

the spectacle.At the heart of his practice is an enquiry into the 

nature of belief and the sensation that is conjured when our 

capacity for faith is stimulated."A black canvas is where light 

is is present but hidden", he has to say.

 "The Rubber Rubbed". A rubber is usually used to erase.In this   

   piece , it is operating its own function on itself.

"Measuring the Measure" uses three rulers of varying sizes, is an 

intangible manouever that becomes a custodian to a poetic moment.