Opening & Panel Discussion "Infinite Jest": Between Painting & Photography

Opening & Panel: Colin Scott Klavins and Bliss Army Knife take boxing to the painting vs. photography authenticity debate. Frday Nov 6, Photography “was not a bastard left by science on the doorstep of art, but a legitimate child of the Western pictorial tradition.” —Peter Galassi, before photography When photographic technology first entered the public consciousness, a protracted debate ensued regarding the relationship between photography and painting, giving rise to doubts and discussions about the authenticity of artistic creation. In today’s postmodern and contemporary art landscape, photography and painting frequently join forces to explore the visual limits of the extraordinary—beyond the reach of the naked eye—and to craft surreal allegories. For this Infinite Jest Panel, we have invited Colin Klavins, who focuses on the medium of photography, and Bliss, who focuses on painting, to revisit the debate on authenticity in photography and painting, drawing inspiration from the book title to savour the enduring relevance of this topic. Both artists have produced a series of works centred on the theatrical setting of boxing. Why don’t we begin here, and take a closer look at the palm prints and the power embodied in different pairs of boxing gloves? “Rock Paper Scissors Shoot” is an initiative exploring the relationship between painting, photography and sculpture. Through a series of three one-week exhibitions and panel discussions, the project brings together two artists from different media backgrounds at Red Giant Project Space to explore the potential for narrative tension to emerge between these media, thereby re-examining the stereotypes, contrasts and associations that have gradually formed between them.