Structure & Material
Jul 09, 2011 - Sep 04, 2011
Spike Island presents a new exhibition of work drawn from the Arts Council Collection. Bringing together for the first time the work of artists Claire Barclay, Becky Beasley and Turner Prize nominee Karla Black, Structure & Material takes a fresh look at current British sculptural practice.
The artists鈥� chosen media and techniques are diverse. Unlikely sculptural materials such as cosmetics, sugar paper, blackboard paint and brass hinges, or craft in the form of carpentry and tapestry, are co-opted by all three to distinctive effect, making the familiar and everyday unsettlingly strange. From elements that are sometimes meagre or over-familiar, new poetic forms are created that are often mysterious and highly evocative. The works in the exhibition are brought together by a shared sense of instability, ambiguity and fragility. A paper and cellophane construction by Black looks initially as if it could be easily crushed, whilst other works appear as if they could blow away. Beasley鈥檚 equally fragile life sized photographs and delicate brass-hinged woodworks are deeply personal explorations into the relationship between the inanimate object and its image, the individual and its fate. Works by Barclay suspend traditional handcrafts and industrial techniques in a delicate balance 鈥� soft leather, wool and traces of manual labour are at odds with machined brass spikes and gimlet steel rods.
Claire Barclay (1968) lives and works in Glasgow where she received an MFA from the Glasgow School of Art in 1993. Recent solo shows include Shadow Spans (2010), the Bloomberg Commission at Whitechapel, London, Openwide (2009) at The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, and at Camden Arts Centre (2008). Group exhibitions include Material Intelligence (2009), Kettle鈥檚 Yard, Cambridge, and Group (2008) at doggerfisher, Edinburgh.
Becky Beasley (1975) lives and works in St. Leonards on Sea and is represented by Laura Bartlett Gallery, London. In 2010 her exhibition, 8th May 1904, Kingston, took place at Stanley Picker Gallery, Kingston and her first live work, 13 Pieces, 17 Feet, was presented at the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion. Her work has been included in group exhibitions at MNMN, Monaco (2010), MACBA, Barcelona (2009), Kunsthalle Bern (2009) and Kunsthalle Basel (2008). She was shortlisted for the MaxMara Art Prize for Women 2009-11 and is currently participating in the British Art Show 7: In the Days of the Comet. Her recent books, published in collaboration with Laura Bartlett Gallery, are American Letter (2007) and Thomas Bernard Malamud (2009).
Karla Black (1972) lives and works in Glasgow where she received an MFA from the Glasgow School of Art in 2004. Recent solo exhibitions include Ten Sculptures (2010), Kunsthalle Nurenburg, and Karla Black (2009) at Modern Art Oxford. Black is representing Scotland at this year鈥檚 Venice Biennale and has recently been nominated for the Turner Prize 2011. An Arts Council Collection exhibition from Southbank Centre.
The artists鈥� chosen media and techniques are diverse. Unlikely sculptural materials such as cosmetics, sugar paper, blackboard paint and brass hinges, or craft in the form of carpentry and tapestry, are co-opted by all three to distinctive effect, making the familiar and everyday unsettlingly strange. From elements that are sometimes meagre or over-familiar, new poetic forms are created that are often mysterious and highly evocative. The works in the exhibition are brought together by a shared sense of instability, ambiguity and fragility. A paper and cellophane construction by Black looks initially as if it could be easily crushed, whilst other works appear as if they could blow away. Beasley鈥檚 equally fragile life sized photographs and delicate brass-hinged woodworks are deeply personal explorations into the relationship between the inanimate object and its image, the individual and its fate. Works by Barclay suspend traditional handcrafts and industrial techniques in a delicate balance 鈥� soft leather, wool and traces of manual labour are at odds with machined brass spikes and gimlet steel rods.
Claire Barclay (1968) lives and works in Glasgow where she received an MFA from the Glasgow School of Art in 1993. Recent solo shows include Shadow Spans (2010), the Bloomberg Commission at Whitechapel, London, Openwide (2009) at The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, and at Camden Arts Centre (2008). Group exhibitions include Material Intelligence (2009), Kettle鈥檚 Yard, Cambridge, and Group (2008) at doggerfisher, Edinburgh.
Becky Beasley (1975) lives and works in St. Leonards on Sea and is represented by Laura Bartlett Gallery, London. In 2010 her exhibition, 8th May 1904, Kingston, took place at Stanley Picker Gallery, Kingston and her first live work, 13 Pieces, 17 Feet, was presented at the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion. Her work has been included in group exhibitions at MNMN, Monaco (2010), MACBA, Barcelona (2009), Kunsthalle Bern (2009) and Kunsthalle Basel (2008). She was shortlisted for the MaxMara Art Prize for Women 2009-11 and is currently participating in the British Art Show 7: In the Days of the Comet. Her recent books, published in collaboration with Laura Bartlett Gallery, are American Letter (2007) and Thomas Bernard Malamud (2009).
Karla Black (1972) lives and works in Glasgow where she received an MFA from the Glasgow School of Art in 2004. Recent solo exhibitions include Ten Sculptures (2010), Kunsthalle Nurenburg, and Karla Black (2009) at Modern Art Oxford. Black is representing Scotland at this year鈥檚 Venice Biennale and has recently been nominated for the Turner Prize 2011. An Arts Council Collection exhibition from Southbank Centre.
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Spike Island presents a new exhibition of work drawn from the Arts Council Collection. Bringing together for the first time the work of artists Claire Barclay, Becky Beasley and Turner Prize nominee Karla Black, Structure & Material takes a fresh look at current British sculptural practice.
The artists鈥� chosen media and techniques are diverse. Unlikely sculptural materials such as cosmetics, sugar paper, blackboard paint and brass hinges, or craft in the form of carpentry and tapestry, are co-opted by all three to distinctive effect, making the familiar and everyday unsettlingly strange. From elements that are sometimes meagre or over-familiar, new poetic forms are created that are often mysterious and highly evocative. The works in the exhibition are brought together by a shared sense of instability, ambiguity and fragility. A paper and cellophane construction by Black looks initially as if it could be easily crushed, whilst other works appear as if they could blow away. Beasley鈥檚 equally fragile life sized photographs and delicate brass-hinged woodworks are deeply personal explorations into the relationship between the inanimate object and its image, the individual and its fate. Works by Barclay suspend traditional handcrafts and industrial techniques in a delicate balance 鈥� soft leather, wool and traces of manual labour are at odds with machined brass spikes and gimlet steel rods.
Claire Barclay (1968) lives and works in Glasgow where she received an MFA from the Glasgow School of Art in 1993. Recent solo shows include Shadow Spans (2010), the Bloomberg Commission at Whitechapel, London, Openwide (2009) at The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, and at Camden Arts Centre (2008). Group exhibitions include Material Intelligence (2009), Kettle鈥檚 Yard, Cambridge, and Group (2008) at doggerfisher, Edinburgh.
Becky Beasley (1975) lives and works in St. Leonards on Sea and is represented by Laura Bartlett Gallery, London. In 2010 her exhibition, 8th May 1904, Kingston, took place at Stanley Picker Gallery, Kingston and her first live work, 13 Pieces, 17 Feet, was presented at the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion. Her work has been included in group exhibitions at MNMN, Monaco (2010), MACBA, Barcelona (2009), Kunsthalle Bern (2009) and Kunsthalle Basel (2008). She was shortlisted for the MaxMara Art Prize for Women 2009-11 and is currently participating in the British Art Show 7: In the Days of the Comet. Her recent books, published in collaboration with Laura Bartlett Gallery, are American Letter (2007) and Thomas Bernard Malamud (2009).
Karla Black (1972) lives and works in Glasgow where she received an MFA from the Glasgow School of Art in 2004. Recent solo exhibitions include Ten Sculptures (2010), Kunsthalle Nurenburg, and Karla Black (2009) at Modern Art Oxford. Black is representing Scotland at this year鈥檚 Venice Biennale and has recently been nominated for the Turner Prize 2011. An Arts Council Collection exhibition from Southbank Centre.
The artists鈥� chosen media and techniques are diverse. Unlikely sculptural materials such as cosmetics, sugar paper, blackboard paint and brass hinges, or craft in the form of carpentry and tapestry, are co-opted by all three to distinctive effect, making the familiar and everyday unsettlingly strange. From elements that are sometimes meagre or over-familiar, new poetic forms are created that are often mysterious and highly evocative. The works in the exhibition are brought together by a shared sense of instability, ambiguity and fragility. A paper and cellophane construction by Black looks initially as if it could be easily crushed, whilst other works appear as if they could blow away. Beasley鈥檚 equally fragile life sized photographs and delicate brass-hinged woodworks are deeply personal explorations into the relationship between the inanimate object and its image, the individual and its fate. Works by Barclay suspend traditional handcrafts and industrial techniques in a delicate balance 鈥� soft leather, wool and traces of manual labour are at odds with machined brass spikes and gimlet steel rods.
Claire Barclay (1968) lives and works in Glasgow where she received an MFA from the Glasgow School of Art in 1993. Recent solo shows include Shadow Spans (2010), the Bloomberg Commission at Whitechapel, London, Openwide (2009) at The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, and at Camden Arts Centre (2008). Group exhibitions include Material Intelligence (2009), Kettle鈥檚 Yard, Cambridge, and Group (2008) at doggerfisher, Edinburgh.
Becky Beasley (1975) lives and works in St. Leonards on Sea and is represented by Laura Bartlett Gallery, London. In 2010 her exhibition, 8th May 1904, Kingston, took place at Stanley Picker Gallery, Kingston and her first live work, 13 Pieces, 17 Feet, was presented at the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion. Her work has been included in group exhibitions at MNMN, Monaco (2010), MACBA, Barcelona (2009), Kunsthalle Bern (2009) and Kunsthalle Basel (2008). She was shortlisted for the MaxMara Art Prize for Women 2009-11 and is currently participating in the British Art Show 7: In the Days of the Comet. Her recent books, published in collaboration with Laura Bartlett Gallery, are American Letter (2007) and Thomas Bernard Malamud (2009).
Karla Black (1972) lives and works in Glasgow where she received an MFA from the Glasgow School of Art in 2004. Recent solo exhibitions include Ten Sculptures (2010), Kunsthalle Nurenburg, and Karla Black (2009) at Modern Art Oxford. Black is representing Scotland at this year鈥檚 Venice Biennale and has recently been nominated for the Turner Prize 2011. An Arts Council Collection exhibition from Southbank Centre.
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