Rohana Weaver - 'The Hunting Party'
North Gallery, 9th March–3rd April 2010
In The Hunting Party, Rohana Weaver examines the complexities of self-representation and objectification of identity, gender and class. 'The Hunting Party' is a spatially and visually imposing installation, with a life-sized fiberglass tiger embellished with orange sequins and glitter, reclining and transforming into a brightly coloured macaw, and suspended mid-flight hovering over the beast below. This partnership of exotic animals is also accompanied by two other pseudo-taxidermied 'trophy' animals that act as decorative commodities, extolling both success and defeat.
Just as animals use their colour and patterns for deception, camouflage, or to allure a mate, Weaver uses these creatures as a vehicle to explore human behavior and social structures, namely our unconscious pursuit and use of disguise to reveal or establish our place in society's hierarchies. Do we 'perform' our perceived roles in relation to our constructed social personas, masking one's true self to camouflage in order to fit in, or to deceive, and make others believe we are of higher status? Certainly, glitter and sequins in Weaver's work act in celebration of public performance, aptly referencing costuming normally associated with burlesque or drag shows and alluding to aspects of identity that are pure theatre, sometimes perceived to be outside social norms or our own perceived behaviors.
Although referencing a series of exotic animals as figures of a potentially higher society, in The Hunting Party, the mere fact that they adorn the gallery wall space also suggests they have been defeated by humanity - predator vs. prey. However, Weaver does not resolutely distinguish between the behaviours of humanity and animals. Rather, she acknowledges shared experiences of communication, being and status, recognising a commonality in actions and interactions that determine where we stand, and how we perceive ourselves and who we are.