‘I poured out honey’ is a solo exhibition of photography by Stirling Kain. The artist uses both historical wet plate collodion processes and darkroom techniques to speculate upon realities and world-building.
The exhibition title is drawn from Scivius, an important work by medieval monastic mystic Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179), whose texts are folded into the idiosyncrasies of the photographs: here, her vision inexplicably mirrors the key wet plate process of coating a plate in thick, amber collodion.
Kain both subverts and reinforces classic wet plate workflows, splintering the tradition with darkroom techniques, to reflect upon physical and cultural archives (of photography), and the camera as an appendage of power and authority.
This exhibition is funded by Propel Youth Arts’ Launchpad program.
Curatorial mentor: Bahar Sayed
Artist mentor: Katie Breckon
This body of work was developed with the generous support of City of Melville, at Atwell House & Gallery darkroom space.
A special thanks to Eduardo Cossio, Kristian Roosmalen and Bennett Miller for their support.
Exhibition documentation: Cole Baxter
Framing: Case Frames
Install: Cara Teusner-Gartland
Light equipment: Alex Spartalis, GSD Productions
Exhibition opening: Kabira Hassim & Yvonne Doherty
Sitters: Nick Kain, Jane Stark, Kassie Zaza, Nazerul Ben-Dzulkefli, & Kate Makowiecka
‘I poured out honey’
CURRENT, 141 Queen Victoria St, Fremantle (Walyalup)
Runs: 10am-4pm, Fri 11-Sun 13 Apr
Opens: 6pm-9pm, Thu 10 Apr (8pm performance by Raras Sukardi)
Reading group: 2.30pm-3.30pm, Sat 12 Apr
Artist talk: 2.30pm-3.30pm, Sun 13 Apr
Stirling Kain 