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 keith tyson interview
 to access audio and video on collective you need real player.The meaning of life at London’s Haunch Of Venison. Keith Tyson is unusually down to earth for an artist. Instead of exuding pretension or elitist detachment, he is simply fascinated by the meaning of life. His work has always played around with the idea of generation. What is the meaning of creation? What are the elements and experiments that result in the final image?It’s taken Tyson two years since he won the Turner Prize in 2002 to put together a one-man show in London, but Geno/Pheno was worth the wait. The work is based around the idea of genotypes and phenotypes, both terms used in genetics. Essentially, the work explores the idea of a starting point, the DNA so to speak, and its physical manifestation or where it leads. The work on display is extremely varied in style, content and approach. Yet it still holds together as a body. From painterly images of burlesque performers layered with kitsch realist kittens, to scribbling equations for computerized shapes and chemicals poured on top of large metal panels. His techniques push the idea of artistic style to its limit. Some of the generative pieces present conundrums or programmes for creating work, hinting at the Artmachine that generated concepts he created a decade ago. The first panel of Lock Out of Eden, for example, is a list of options that could be combined to create a piece of work. The three elements that the artist highlights fuse pinball machines, a 60s air hostess fetish and the expulsion from Eden. But the list implies thousands of other images that were not finished. Tyson highlights how art is something that is filtered through a single imagination. To him, the creation of art is about exploring potentials. The results force you to interact and use your mind. And some even look good, too.
Francesca Gavin
Keith Tyson - Geno/Pheno Paintings is at Haunch Of Venison, London, until 08 January 05.
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 grayson perryon the turner  turner prize 04feature  turner prize20 years feature
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