LO FI HIGH

“LO FI HIGH is an exhibition of the art, zines and publications of artists who explore “high and low” culture presented by Toot Artspace.” - Description taken from Toot media release. Zines, (short for maga-zines) and the philosophy of zines and zine culture is pretty cool. Zines are small, artist-made booklets, and in Melbourne, we are pretty spoilt for choice when it comes to spaces that facilitate and promote zines - Sticky Institute, the Festival of the Photocopier (presented by Sticky), and in St. Kilda - Toot Artspace. The ability to self-publish allows transgressive themes, ideas, philosophies and independency to shine and can encompass political, social or punk concepts to really carve out a niche for audiences. Interested in underground queer femme furry roleplay? Need to get a whole booklet of photographs of Japanese vending machines? Want to read a small comic about the adventures of a mystical boy scout? There’s a zine out there for everyone*. I guess this is where the concept of “high” and “low” art (the agenda of the LO FI HIGH exhibition) comes from, as zines are often stapled together, hand made, photocopied or unique little craft booklets. This conversation about value, class and “high” art versus “low” art or cultures, is definitely worth having. I personally wouldn’t consider zines to be “low art” but some (academics or art institutionalized) possibly would. Just as the craft movement has had to work incredibly hard to be seen as legitimate within the fine art sphere (and continues that battle), there is an understanding slowly happening toward the aesthetics of the punk or DIY zine scene. In relation to “low culture” well, we are just getting into some problematic bigoted value system prejudices here… Who is to decide what is “high” culture and what is “low”? This is what Natty Solo may be commenting on with her protest poster-style works within the show (albeit with a feminist edge. I have enjoyed Solo’s writing for a while now and highly enjoy and recommend reading “Quilty: Sit down bitch. Be Humble”) She fuses US political quotes (”Lock Her Up” infamously chanted by the Trump camp regarding Hilary is perfectly curated next to the “Trump Cunt” work) with Guerilla Girls-style anti-patriarchy in the gallery slogans (”NGV #Cock Fest”) attacking power structures and systems, such as the political and the institution and the men who control them. I remember when Australia was voting on “marriage equality” it was all about the “respectable homosexuals” - those that emulated heteronormative relationships - those in 200 year monogamous relationships, that had the house and white picket fence and the newest Prius. The rest us were considered the “unrespectable homosexuals” and the “low” culture of gay beats, sexual liberation and queer freedom (which were all fought through the blood and lives lost of queer forefathers) was seen as degenerative and not helpful for the equality movement. There’s probably a good zine about this actually, but I digress… Toot is a great space and one that St. Kilda is lucky to have. It looks and feels like it would be better suited and more at home in the northern suburbs, but that’s why the locals should really support it. After the artistic bohemia of St. Kilda in the 80’s has long died, they should be so lucky to have creative venues like this. There are SO many great zines stocked here, and add the wonderful, versatile little gallery space with its many creative nooks and cranny’s, and the possibilities to show work, see unique work and have a great time there are endless. I felt like some kind of kid in some kind of store - you just want to buy, read and look through all of the super cool zines! The exhibition, LO FI HIGH, is beautifully hung, with a variety of works not overcrowding the walls. And oddly, I have to mention how engrossed I was with the actual poster for the show. Not only by the design but the quality of stock the poster and postcards are printed on, the feel of the matte paper and the screen-print style. Ten points for the branding there! Artists include: Laila Marie Costa Jordan Marani Kenny Pittock Holly Crawford (USA) Amy Sillman (USA) Nat Thomas Jade Walsh Caspar Zika Stand out work for me would be the beautifully presented, large Caspar Zika’s “The Sweeper” video in the front space. Not only is the work clean, simple and visually engaging (the actual screen is beautiful!), but it is also site-specific. The video sees a male dressed in white overalls (cleaning or workers utility attire) slowly sweeping up dirt and sand in an empty white room. It is only after visiting the back gallery space the viewer understands this room is actually the Toot gallery, and so the video was made on site. The worker keeps placing the dirt he sweeps into a backpack he is wearing, the backpack in which has a hole in the bottom and the sand continues to tumble out from his back, creating more sand piles to sweep, more work to do in an endless cycle. The modern Sysiphus, “The Sweeper” is both horrifying and funny, and more artworks need to have the intelligence to be this. Humour, playfulness and fun (with a dark existentially horrifying edge) are missing from a lot of contemporary work, and personally, the works I experience that remain with me often have a streak of humour in them. I also really enjoyed “Critical Conversations In A Limo” by Holly Crawford. The installation of the video in combination with the transcript zine was really engaging, interesting, voyeuristic and somehow emanated a kitsch and anachronistic quality. It was theatrical without being lame. I highly recommend experiencing it. I want to hire a limousine with a bunch of artist friends, drink champagne and talk shit now. Honorable mention to Kenny Pittock’s David Shrigley-esque “Ninetynine Drawings Of People On The Train” - it is tongue-in-cheek dry, fabulous, simplistically engaging and just strange enough to grab my attention. We have spoken to Jade Walsh, Toot Artspace’s creator, on the Drinking With The Artist Podcast previously about running the space. Head on down and check it out before the show closes. Words and photos: Matto Lucas