INSA – Self Reflection is Greater Than Self Projection

London Newcastle Project Space
Redchurch St, London

29 March 2012 ONLY

All photos: NolionsInEngland except the proper photograph stolen from Ian Cox

It’s not porn, it’s critiquing porn. That’s the fine line INSA’a one night only installation of chrome, arse and tit straddles.

photo Ian Cox

The installation comprises an all-enveloping wallpapered collage of images of INSA chicks photographed reflected in mirror balls. To the voyeur, it’s the hyper contrasting optical distortions that delight the eye most,

The photographic collage builds from studies (interesting how when it’s INSA, we use “studies” rather than “readers wives shots”) of two pouting females. The artistic concept is raised another power of two as this surround-fetish installation is evidently a collage of photographs themselves taken in an all embracing installation room.

The blurb says something about a Francesca Selby from Papergraphics who donated the digital printable wallcovering, Digimura (www.theartofwallcovering.com). One of the other Graffoto contributors is actually some kind of un-sung global hero in the world of printing bloody big stuff but I can’t be arsed to ask him what this printing technique is; to this author it looks like a distorted colour dottery (whut?) which itself becomes a bit abstract if you try to get to close.

The first 50 fetishists through the door were given a numbered limited edition print derived from the imagery in the show. Usually a free print is so insignificant, so little to write home about that it veers close to a debasement of the artist’s usual quality of work. A bit like getting a Michelin chef’s ready cooked diffusion meal range from the 24hr petrol station down the road. The 42 by 59 cm freebie INSA print given away tonight is undeniably a stunner. It looked so lush there was a hope that it might grace the walls of NoLions Towers but Lady NoLions wasn’t swallowing it.

There is some kind of sick irony in the fact that this all-encompassing immersion art installation is photography based and in itself is magically photogenic. These photographs may not do justice to the trick on the eye in which people appear to be poised perfectly balanced on tanned bootilicious contours.

INSA’ s signature stripes, flesh and swoosh come together all over the installation

(Our good friend from Hookedblog reckons that the original shoot for the wallpaper was done in some kind of kinkily dis-orientating strobe flash mode. This explains the intense points of light scattered around the wallpaper, not to mention the ghost tripod in the shot above.)

The Graffoto photo collection from this show includes a beautifully composed “from the hip” shot of an friend with his mouth wide open, perfectly juxtaposed in front of one of the images so that his bearded mug looks like a carelessly trimmed Brazilian. Unfortunately, such is the way with that kind of “street photography” technique, the pic was hugely over-exposed and will never be published, this will hopefully prevent a generation of young boys growing up with a bizarre idea of where a G-Spot is found. Here is a completely unrelated pic.

Arses

Someone cleverer than this author may make a case that a room full of lathered up penises might fulfil the same intended artistic concept but if INSA ever takes that as inspiration to a produce a similar gender opposed installation then you might have a bit of a wait to read about it here on Graffoto.