Video Art Piece “Mark Lewis: Galveston” Opens at The Contemporary Austin
We’re honored to announce that Revelator is part of a new video art piece Mark Lewis: Galveston, now open at The Contemporary Austin. Revelator recently partnered with The Contemporary Austin and artist Mark Lewis to produce the brand new video art piece for Mr. Lewis. The piece, which was shot on location in Galveston, Texas, is currently on display at The Jones Center in Austin.
Mark Lewis is a Canadian visual artist, now based in London, who makes short, non-narrative films that focus on the urban environment. Lewis has been working with film based installations since the mid-1990s. His films feature slow, gliding camerawork and often highlight urban architecture and infrastructure from unexpected viewpoints. In the past he has featured cities such as Beirut, London, Paris, Sao Paulo, and Toronto in his work. For his latest piece, he turns the camera on Galveston, Texas.
(Still) Mark Lewis, Galveston, 2017. 4K digital film, transferred to 2K, silent. Running time: 7:15. Edition 1 of 3. Commissioned by The Contemporary Austin. Artwork and image (c) Mark Lewis. Courtesy Mark Lewis Studio and Daniel Faria Gallery.
(still)
Mark Leiws has had solo museum exhibitions at the UBC Fine Arts Museum, Vancouver, Vancouver Art Gallery, Hamburger Kunstverein, Musée d’art moderne (Luxembourg), BFI Southbank (London), and the National Museum of Contemporary Art (Bucharest, Romania). His work is in many collections including the National Gallery of Canada, Museum of Modern Art New York, Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, and the Centre Pompidou (Paris). From 1989 to 1997 he lived in Vancouver becoming part of the burgeoning photoconceptualism scene of the Vancouver School.[4] Much of his work focuses on the technology of film and the different genres which have been developed in over 100 years of film history. His films are often short, precise exercises on particular techniques. He is co-editorial director of the publisher Afterall, which produces a journal of contemporary art and a series of books and readers. It is published in London, Antwerp and Seville.
Revelator with Mark Lewis, On-Location in Galveston
Mark Lewis: Galveston is a visual study of the complex history of the city. The center piece and main focus of the film is One Moody Tower, an iconic white skyscraper that is visible throughout most of the city. “I like the way the building stands like a ‘promise,’ of a future that might still happen but as of yet has not arrived,” Lewis says, “suggestive in some way of how the building might be thought of as a beacon of modernity.”
Lewis uses a combination of steadicam video footage and 3-D animation to create a unique perspective on the building, descending down the side of the building before flipping upside down and moving out through the streets of the city. But no matter how far the camera travels away from the building, it is always still visible in the distance. As the Contemporary notes “The film focuses on modernist architecture’s pure formal qualities—and by association its attendant utopian ideals—contradicted by the struggling economic conditions visible in the streets.”
(Still) Mark Lewis, Galveston, 2017. 4K digital film, transferred to 2K, silent. Running time: 7:15. Edition 1 of 3. Commissioned by The Contemporary Austin. Artwork and image (c) Mark Lewis. Courtesy Mark Lewis Studio and Daniel Faria Gallery. (still)
Photo courtesy of Mark Lewis Studio and Daniel Faria Gallery.
Mark Lewis: Galveston will be projected inside The Contemporary Austin’s Jones Center this spring. The Contemporary Austin reflects the spectrum of contemporary art through exhibitions, commissions, education, and the collection. In their visions, The Contemporary Austin aspires to be the contemporary art museum for Austin and an essential part of city life. Through its unique combination of urban and outdoor sites, The Contemporary will embody an eclectic and collaborative spirit. Revelator is incredibly proud to have helped bring this beautiful piece to life. It will be on view at The Jones Center in Downtown Austin from April 2nd to August 27th, 2017. You can check out all of the information about the programs running at The Contemporary Austin below.
Revelator with Mark Lewis, On-Location in Galveston
The Contemporary Austin: Spring 2017 Exhibitions
On view at the Jones Center
Garth Weiser: Paintings, 2008-2017
Mark Lewis: Galveston
April 2 – August 27, 2017
On view at the Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park at Laguna Gloria
Lionel Maunz: Discovery of Honey / Work of the Family
February 18 – May 14, 2017
Anya Gallaccio: to see if time was there
April 2, 2017 – Ongoing
Above still images: Mark Lewis, Galveston (still), 2017. 4K digital film, transferred to 2K, silent. Running time: 7:15. Edition 1 of 3. Commissioned by The Contemporary Austin. Artwork and image (c) Mark Lewis. Courtesy Mark Lewis Studio and Daniel Faria Gallery.