The Shared Drive - Issue 05
Issue 05! 5 whole weeks of writing to you lovely lot. I’ve seen a lot and done a lot in this time - so thanks for being along for the ride. In this issue, I’ll be writing a bit about a lovely studio visit I had with sculptor Annie Tredower in a new series titled ‘Studio Diaries’. and also sharing some info on my *last* tour and breakfast event at Pictorum..!
Anyway, as ever, I hope you enjoy, and feedback is always welcome!
J x
Studio Diaries: Annie Trevorah
On Wednesday of this week, I was thrilled (maybe an overstatement, as I cycled in the rain..) to travel to Olympia to meet up with Annie Trevorah, a London-based sculptor and multidisciplinary artist. Rocking up, slightly frazzled due to the nature of cycling in London, I was greeted by a beautifully glamorous Annie who ushered me out of the drizzly rain and into a brightly lit and surprisingly clean unit.
As I walked in, immediately, I was stunned by the number of large-scale sculptures dotted across the floor. Annie informs me that she is in the process of moving space, and as such, this one is particularly empty. The emptiness, and cleanliness, made the space feel that bit more gallery-esque, creating a white-cube like feel that shone an impressive light on the 5 or 6 sculptures that awaited my attention.
To the left, a large, bulbous creature sat. Made from what looked like stainless steel, but is actually Alumnium and Resin, I was struck by the surprising human-ness of this spiky, bulbous and alien object. With three spindly legs, and one uncannily slender spike at the top, I was amazed at the mysterious lightness and confusion inherent in it. Ominously titled Predator 2, the sculpture embodies sex and sexuality, in the artist’s own words it is “at once both phallic and dentate”, defying subjugation, or even categorisation, from my gaze. After a moments silence, Annie tells me to look underneath, where I spy a set of amusingly large protrusions (read: balls). I laugh under my breath, and enquire further into the methodologies and meaning behind the piece. Regaling me with stories about human-plant interconnectivity, and dystopian futures, Annie runs me through her heavily research-based practice. Predator 2, it turns out, draws on the history of herbal aphrodisiacs, hinting not so subtly at the role role that plants can play in eliciting sexual responses in humans.
Looking around the studio, with a greater knowledge now of Annie’s fascination with human-plant interconnectivity, I see the work in a new light. In the middle of the room, a vibrant orange work in progress sits quietly - admiring the oddly satisfying lily pads with what look like fried eggs on them, my attention is then drawn to the eerie plant pods that Annie has placed on top. I learn that these are found objects, originally from Australia. They have openings, almost like lips, and Annie plans to connect them with a water source, so that they ooze liquid, splashing onto the lily pads beneath.
The beauty of these works, is the power imbued in them to shift our perspective from the human-centric worldview to one that embraces plants, in all their wonderment. Annie’s practice probes the boundary between humanity and nature, urging us to reconsider our assumptions of human dominance, further emphasising the interconnectedness and mutual dependence between humans and the natural world - an ever important reminder these days.
In her inquiry into this dynamic relationship, Annie’s practice delves into themes of eco-feminism, evolutionary processes, mutation, shape-shifting, and intra-dependence. I found myself truly amazed by the quality of work, and the brilliance of the subject matter. Through these installations, sculptures, and objects, Annie creates a new world - one in which the perceived ecosystem and world order are challenged, prompting us as viewers to reconsider our own position, and relationship with the natural world.
As ever, it was a privilege to be invited into the studio, and witness these works unfurling. I would like to thank Annie for her time, and generosity - what a wonderful Wednesday it was!
Invitation: Curator’s Tour and Brunch
As I mentioned briefly in this issue’s intro, I am hosting another tour and brunch of my most recent show (I Want To Be An Insect, Pictorum Gallery). It will, in fact, be my last tour, as I will be parting ways with the gallery at the end of this month. It has been my absolute pleasure to put on exhibitions, projects, residencies, collaborations, tours, interviews, talks, dinners, and the other many parts of being Director over the past two years, but I’ve decided now is the time for me to move on to greener pastures. A longer note is to follow, once I officially leave, but I would love for as many people as possible to join me next week for this final tour!
These breakfast/brunch events are something that I have pushed consistently during my tenure at the gallery. I wholeheartedly believe in creating accessible environments for those who find PVs difficult, or overwhelming, or simply for anyone who wants to actually come and hear about the curatorial process, or see the artworks (as we all know, if you actually want to see the work, the PV is probably not going to be the best opportunity to do so!).
So please, if you are around, do join me at the gallery on 2 Portman Square next Friday the 12th at 12pm.
Contributions To The Shared Drive
In this section, as ever, I will be showcasing carefully chosen exhibitions, projects, and shows from galleries, artists and curators whom I closely follow.
THE SOUND OF AN ENGINE FALLING, Sebastian Gordin and Yuxiao Ran, Rosenfeld Gallery
4th April - 6th May
”In this exhibition, Sebastian Gordin searches for the sounds that constitute him, that gave his life colour and depth. He dives into the sea of his memory, seeking out the songs he loved, the lyrics that accompanied him, and brings them back up to the surface… In a very different way and with equally different intentions, the works of the Chinese artist Yuxiao Ran also draw on memory. At first impact, what strikes the viewer is the strong parentage to surrealism: However, in reality, what primarily interests the artist is exploring the limitations of pictorial language when seen in a contemporary context” - Gallery Rosenfeld
AFTERTHOUGHTS with Rosie Gibbens and Holly Stevenson via TANK TV
Two of my all-time favourites, performance artist and sculptor Rosie Gibbens, and ceramicist Holly Sstevenson (both of whom I have spoken about, written about, or even been lucky enough to work with), discuss the 1947 Dadaist film ‘Dreams Money Can Buy’. I just finished watching it, and loved this humour, energy and fascinating 30 minute discussion. If you are one for any kind of surrealist psychology, this is for you.
Watch here
"Dancing mannequins, wire circus figures, a retelling of the myth of Narcissus with sentient furniture: 'Dreams that Money Can Buy' is Dadaist delight. An anthology film in seven parts, each directed by a different avant-garde visonary including Man Ray, Fernand Leger, Max Ernst, Duchamp and Alexander Calder. The file stars Jack Birrner as a literal average Joe who has gained the ability to sell dreams. A veritable who's who of the post-war art landscape, it's an exhilarating exploration into the richness of our subconscioud landscapes". TankTV
INTERVIEW WITH ROSIE GIBBENS: TANK MAG
If you’re not satisfied with your Rosie-fix from the above, whilst watching the video I stumbled across this interview. Rosie’s performance practice is absolutely brilliant, and this interview does a great job of probing some of the deeper meanings and research behind Rosie’s practice.
“Rosie Gibbens is a performance and video artist and sculptor. At the core of much of her work is an interest in desire, particularly the slippage between sexual desire and consumer desire, with both phenomena also involving sometimes unpredictable elements of gender performativity. Gibbens uses the visual language of advertising, office working, DIY tools and trades and ultra-feminine dressing to create a world in which these categories are unstable, riotous and strange. “I am particularly drawn to items that imply a desire for self-optimisation such as exercise equipment or domestic gizmos,” she writes. “I often approach my works as perverse product demonstrations or adverts where the term ‘sex sells’ is taken excessively literally” - Tank Magazine