Exhibition Review: Dara Birnbaum (South London Gallery, London)

Featured image: Dara Birnbaum performing in her work Addendum: Autism. Photograph: Courtesy of the Marian Goodman Gallery.

Rating: ***

The South London Galley is currently playing host to renowned video artist Dara Birnbaum’s UK premier of her latest work, Arabesque. It also takes the opportunity to explore some of her earliest works. Essentially the show bookends her career with Birnbaum’s earliest surviving work, Attack Piece, along with other works from her mid-Seventies catalogue.

In the 1970s, not only was Birnbaum one of the few female practising female artists,she built a reputation on manipulating video images to subvert popular culture and turn it into provocative didactics – in particular, that of gender in society.

Her latest work, and the centrepiece of the exhibition, is no exception. Birnbaum examines the inequalities in the relationship and productivity of Robert and Clara Schuman – both talented musicians and composers – through juxtaposing their works and personalities. This is done by using amateur YouTube performances of R. Schumann’s Arabesque alongside C. Schumann’s Romanze 1. The result, projected in quartet on the wall of a darkened main gallery, is a visually and aurally striking piece of gender politics through clever use of contrasts. Yet whilst the subject matter can appear to be a dry topic, Birnbaum’s work has plenty of heart and emotion behind it, channelling the hallmark of both the Schumanns’ music and the style of the classical ‘romantic’ era. The result is a piece that is as affecting as it is informed and imposing.

The rest of the exhibition also deserves some attention. There are a selection of interestingly primal self portraits, and Attack Piece is also an incredibly dizzying, exhausting, and surprisingly high-octane battle of video versus still image; a clever exploration into then a radical new medium. But with only 10 works to view it feels a little unsatisfying. Also, Birnbaum’s most well known work, Technology/Transformation: Wonder Woman, is absent as an integral part of the exhibition – although screened as part of one of the gallery’s events – making it feel less than comprehensive.

Unfortunately, the main issue with the exhibition is that her earlier works haven’t aged too well. Birnbaum was exploring and exploding a society, popular culture, and artistic medium of her time, and unless you’re particularly interested in gender history or are a fan of the artist, there’s little to relish. Also, the contrast between her freshman and senior efforts are stark, and her older works are very rough around the edges in comparison.

However, Arabesque shows that Birnbaum’s veteran status hasn’t hampered her ability. She clearly still has a finger on the pulse of current culture and is a master of her medium, continuing to wow. Arabesque alone is worth making the trip for, while the rest makes for historic tinder.

Dara Birnbaum is on display at the South London Gallery, London, SE5 8UH, until 15 February 2011. Entrance is free (donations appreciated). For more information, visit www.southlondongallery.org.