Douglas Hampson-Kelaher, still from Smell the Flowers One Last Time,  2006. Courtesy of the artist.

 

Douglas Hampson-Kelaher

17 November - 14 December 2008 in the Square² Gallery

Smell the Flowers One Last Time 2006
DVD
duration: 5 minutes, 52 seconds, looped
Courtesy of the artist

Smell the Flowers One Last Time presents the character of death as motivational speaker. Abandoning his standard bad guy image, Death has taken possession of a television set, and materialises to pass on tidbits of pop psychology. He offers viewers inspirational maxims from sources including sweet genius Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the jedi master Yoda from Star Wars. Through these messages Death attempts to induce us to enjoy life while we have it, to break down menacing stereotypes surrounding his image, and proposes art as a life-asserting experience.

The work was originally shown as part of a body of work about motivation, considering the artist’s need to make art, and the identity of artist as addict or narcissist. Smell the Flowers One Last Time specifically considers the potential of our certain death to act as a motivating force, validation for living in the present and seizing opportunities. Death’s platitudes are humorously presented to an audience well-versed in insubstantial motivational-speak, yet without wholly denying a more serious underlying message.

Douglas Hampson-Kelaher is a Nelson based multimedia artist, whose work has been widely exhibited in venues from public galleries to project and commercial spaces. His work often involves creating artificial environments which resemble elements from film sets, low-fi arcade games, 60s minimalist art practice, and retro science fiction worlds. He has had a recent solo exhibition, ‘Play Nice’ (2007-08) at Dunedin Public Art Gallery; and previously shown at The Physics Room, Christchurch; The High Street Project, Christchurch; the Suter Gallery, Nelson, and many other project spaces around New Zealand.