David Rosetzky

“A good portrait has more than just accurate features. It has some other thing.’ Alice Neel

David Rosetzky is an Australian contemporary artist who works in the portraiture creating scenarios in which human behaviour; identity, subjectivity, contemporary culture and community come under intimate observation. Del Kathryn Barton is another contemporary artist, she exploits subject matter and techniques such as mark making, the idea of woman’s domestic craft, and the overall decorative aspect to contemporary fashion and design. Her work is very ornate, intricate, feminine, detailed and surreal, almost resembling fine needlework.

Rosetzky works predominantly in video and photographic form arts. He uses the form portraiture to explore relationships between interiority and exteriority, reality and fantasy and authenticity and artificiality. Rosetzky studied painting at Victoria College and completed a PhD in fine art at Monash University.

Kiah, 2008, is a photo collage that explores the notion of beauty. Rosetzky uses a scalpel to cut away Kiah’s flesh and clothing; the cuts are strangely disturbing to the viewer. It presents a literal expression of identity as multi-layered and complex. Kiah connects and breaks links between individual identity and physical appearance. This series explores the elements that contribute to individuality. How as individuals, you become who you are through everything around you, and how all the elements of identity are intertwined.

Psychologist Erik Erikson, 1902-1994 is one of Rosetzky’s biggest influences. Erikson believed that social development occurs through a combination of psychological processes taking place within individuals and a persons life experiences. He developed theory of psychosocial development; that people progress through 8 sequential stages at different periods. Stage 5 and 6 are those that Rosetzky explores in his work. 5: Identity vs. identity confusion (12-18 yrs.). 6: Intimacy vs. isolation (18-25 yrs.). The Characters in Rosetzky’s work (all late adolescence or young adult) self analyse their own personalities and compare themselves to others. They want to be different and not who they are. Rosetzky explores the psychological conclusions by Erik Erikson in his art, the subjects questioning their identity and themselves.

Justine, 2000, is a short film. Justine, the protagonist, defines her identity through her relationships. She over analyses her life, questioning her self. Justine is self aware, insecure, calm and meek. Explored in Justine is the struggle between the individual’s personal needs and demands of society. With the themes and emotions explored in Justine, present is Rosetzky’s interest in group, internal and external psychology, the stages of development, and his interest in Erik Erikson’s theories. The video work holds striking resemblances with DaVinci’s ‘Lady with an Ermine”, depicted in both are expressionless, young ladies. The two women share the same emotions and feelings, despite being centuries apart. This tends to Erikson’s theory, that emotions and feelings are universal, shared despite being individual.

“The search for identity is a need for all people, which first becomes a focus during adolescence and continues through ones lifetime”, David Rosetzky.

Against type, 2012, is a series of rephotographed photographs. The series pays great tribute to his father, the key image in the series is his father, and other objects photographed are objects inherited by his father. Socially, Rosetzky focuses on the always-transitional notion of subjectivity. He creates reference to our media-saturated lives and how that impacts us. It’s how we negotiate the space between the real and ideal. Drawing reference from personal archives, web based media and popular prints, Rosetzky is acknowledging his father as a graphic designer, and with graphic design being one of the biggest art forms of this century and the rise of media and technology. Culturally, the work engages with superficial contours of style and fashion, and dark uncertainties and incommunicable depths haunting his vision. Below the beautiful poetry of our superficial lives, the physical stuff, our existence is infused with mysterious forces. Rosetzky influences other artists to reuse and recontextualised old art. To create something that’s already been created, and give it life again.

Del Kathryn Barton delves into an imaginary world, enticing the viewer to become involved with their own personal feelings. Much like Rosetzky, she investigates the realm of human and non-human exchanges and interactions. “Please..don’t…stop” is an acrylic, gouache, watercolour and pen on canvas. The work is provocative. The starkness of white, flat flesh on the girls contrasts with the central girl. The quality of the work is anti-realistic, three-dimensional, and illusionistic and it makes them seam like they belong from another world. They remind the viewer or under-age beauty pageants and the resultant loss of innocence. The art is aesthetically beautiful and appealing, until the viewer notices the underlying connotations. There are elements that act as symbols, and obvious references to fashion and pop culture, and how those factors mask who we are and our identity. We use style and fashion to cover up and hide form our selves.

“A lot of my work is self referential, layers and self and what can emerge over time…It doesn’t have to all fit together, you just have to be moved”, Del Kathryn Barton.

Artists Hannah Hock and David Noonan also inspire Rosetzky’s artist practise. Noonan creates vivid images that are like dreams, the characters interacting in bizarre rituals. He creates unknown, dramatic staged events, as if he is in pursuit of the avant-garde. Dada artist, Hannah Hock on the other hand, has an edgy style of photomontage. Much like Rosetzky, she utilises metaphorical imagery to convey meaning through her work, though in a considerably different way. She uses photomontage, layered collage and appropriation from political texts and mass media, making comments on the Weimar German Government. Hock drew inspiration from the cubist works of Picasso.

Luke, 1998, is a single channel digital video in colour. The work looks at subject matter of daily rituals, lifestyles and other people’s perceptions of Luke as an individual, and its significance. “Luke’s dialogue is imbued with a self-conscious awareness of how he is perceived by others”. The work’s subject matter is real, it’s a voyeuristic view of someone’s life, and the things imbued in it. His daily rituals are not a tradition; traditions are celebrated socially and culturally. ‘Luke’ is postmodern. It follows themes

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