Antony Gormley is a familiar figure in the world of sculpture, and the show currently at The Royal Academy explores his work right back to his beginnings in 1970.
Several of the works were created specifically for the spaces at the academy, and induce a sense of marvel and wonder.
Matrix, shown above, contains 21 room sized cages surrounding a small chamber the size of a new build bedroom in Europe.
Walk beneath it and around it distorts perspective and creates a degree of visual confusion. Watching visitors enjoy the experience is a pleasure in itself. I had a very friendly encounter with a suited, silver haired gentleman called Charles.... he had been videoing me while I had been photographing him..... he apologised that his tie was not properly done up. I thought that probably no one would mind....
His friends arrived.... he introduced me to them very politely...... I felt really odd..... they probably thought the whole scenario was odd.... I was not wearing a tie or anything remotely smart.... they wandered off and we never saw each other again.
His friends arrived.... he introduced me to them very politely...... I felt really odd..... they probably thought the whole scenario was odd.... I was not wearing a tie or anything remotely smart.... they wandered off and we never saw each other again.
There is a lot to think about and a lot to play with...... which makes it a very friendly exhibition. I had many conversations with strangers; all excited about the work and wishing to share their feelings.
There were steel reinforcing bars to clamber through......
.... tunnels to walk through, large enough to accommodate a mother and her child in a buggy who dived into the darkness.... and made it into the massive cave filling one room entirely.
gravity defying men to bump into.......
and figures curled up on the floor, initially appearing as radom blocks of steel, until you looked more closely.
Equally fascinating were the myriad of notebooks documenting ideas and workings.
As one who has taken a long time to find the perfect notebook for my own use, I was intrigued by his consistency of choice, which changes only a couple of times over many years.
At least with a ring binder pages can be ripped out if necessary.
At least with a ring binder pages can be ripped out if necessary.
There are drawings too. And a room full of clay and seawater..... earth, air and water, changing and responding to the environmental conditions in the gallery over time. The temptation to step in was overwhelming for children....
and in the courtyard outside was a tiny bronze sculpture of a 2 week old baby, lying on the ground, cast from Gormley's own daughter.
I felt it so vulnerable that I didn't feel able to photograph it.
This is a show that uplifts and provokes.
I'll say no more.
No comments:
Post a Comment