Measuring Embah's 'Measuring Tape'
From 'Inner Glory' (2009, mixed media) If, as Embah says, art is measuring life, then how do we measure art? Or the artist's engagement with his art, over the years? Can we even measure art at all? Can we measure life at all? What does it mean to say that life is measurable? Do we even have to measure life? Shouldn't we just be living it? These were not the questions that were, at first, at the forefront of my mind as I strolled through Embah's current exhibition 'Measuring Tape' which is enjoying an extended run at the Fernandes Industrial Estate. I'd left work early to stop by before 6pm when the exhibition normally closes. I had decided to convince my dad to come along. He and Embah hit it off instantly, beginning a very long, intense conversation at the front space of what used to house CCA7. As they chatted, I took a look at the work. 'Measuring Tape' is like a retrospective of the artist and his life. There is a deliberate blend of old and...