Task 6 - Exhibition Review

Write a critical review of one of the exhibitions in Leeds (500-1000 words).

Attempt to include information on-

Context- Gallery info & history, curatorial issues etc
A physical description of at least one work
Theoretical contextualization and analysis- linking to theoretical ideas and using quotes etc
Info about the artist(s) / designer(s)
A critique of the curatorial strengths and weaknesses of the show

Although self-proclaiming that it "...showcases the best in international sculpture", The Henry Moore Institutes' position as an exclusively sculpture orientated exhibition space is questionable. This is not because it lacks consistency in the work the curators choose to host, but rather the curators choose to regularly inspire debate over our interpretation of sculpture. Past guest artists’ like Thomas Schutte explored found objects as sculpture, and the space has been home to several exhibitions showcasing traditional wall-hung photography and paintings (‘Unfinished Business: Mark Wilsher’ and ‘Sculpture as Painting’), with sculpture acting as content. As much as this acts as a stimulant for debate, the more contemporary work is hosted with consideration of practicality within the limits of the space, and sculpture - perhaps more so than any other art form - requires a great deal of attention to the space it inhabits. In the current exhibition, Alan Johnston directly interprets the confines of the space, examining the beauty of its physical near-emptiness and the neutrality of modernist gallery spaces, and more widely modernist architecture as a whole. A collaborator with Johnston, Shinichi Ogawa spoke of their joint work - “Architecture must be freed from all styles or concepts and be neutral. Existing styles or concepts alone are not enough to produce architectural space. By reassembling architecture on an abstract level liberated from architectural concepts or vocabularies, space becomes all things yet nothing, thereby acquiring greater freedom.” (Ogawa, S. 1999). The suggestive forms that Johnston has penciled in the contours of the space lend their shape, size and impact to the structure of the Henry Moore Institute’s interior. As much as Johnston draws attention to his work, he draws attention to the lack of it – the exhibition space becomes an exhibit in itself.

In the exhibitions spaces smallest room, there is a greater presence of more physical artwork, in particular a two-piece set of scale models that look ready for minature modernist furniture, lighting and 1” tall residents. The models are raised on platforms, at just below eye level, the simplicity of the two architectural structures draw attention to modernist architectural philosophies – the utilization of space, the construct of buildings around the rigid framework of particular spaces and the neutrality of “Machines designed for living in”. These two works bring a greater sense of clarity to what Johnston’s work is about, although his wall-drawings are suggestive of neutrality and our relationship to a certain space, the scale models – lacking in any objects – force his audience to look past what the work lacks to the beauty of the architectural structural that surrounds the void. “My work explores spatial contexts and relations through drawing and architectural construction, reflecting on the spatial and tactual implications in architecture where perceptual notions are rendered as common factors in sight and touch.” (Johnston, A.)

Although the greatest reoccurrence within the exhibition is Johnston’s large-scale wall drawings, curators of such an exhibit must be aware of the subtlety of these works – and how easily attention is drawn away from them. Dotted amongst these works are smaller pieces, set in pairs, around A6 in size and form, and surrounded by transparent frames, protruding several centimetres from the wall. Their presence interrupts Johnston’s narrative between his work and the space, and our relationship with the architectural structure. The other aforementioned 3D works are separate from the larger pieces, existing in the smallest room within the space, and avoiding creating distraction from the more understated work. Awareness of the narrative of the work is evidenced in the curators’ choice not to include information panels with any of the works – creating a greater sense of neutrality through the lack of information and encouragement of our own interpretation.

Bibliography:

http://www.northernmirror.com/pdf/Johnston_Mies_Houston_Draw.pdf

http://www.rbge.org.uk/the-gardens/edinburgh/inverleith-house/archive-exhibitions/inverleith-house-archive-main-programme/alan-johnston-haus-wittgenstein-inverleith-house

http://www.eca.ac.uk/staff_profiles/view/prof-alan-johnston/

http://www.henry-moore.org/hmi/archive

http://www.henry-moore.org/hmi/research