This week I made a quick trip to the Saatchi as I was in the area - I never have very high hopes for what I will see there anymore; I know I have mentioned in a previous blog post how I find it a little depressing how people go there as somewhere trendy to meet people and barely look at the work. I also find that the spaces are so large, and therefore the works are so large, that they are quite different to my work - they are often rather bold and brash (and often political) sculptures or paintings that are quite opposite to my taste. I did find this was once again the case but the gallery was almost empty and I enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with each work, and pick up on smaller things that I can use as inspiration for my own practice. I have got into the habit this year, especially since Venice, of observing how a work is presented even if I don't like it; I'm conscious that I need to start making my pieces more 'professional' and think about how they might be shown in a gallery space, so going to bigger galleries is helpful in this respect.
Olivia Bax - 'Model For More', 2014
Similar to the sculptures of Rudolf Polanzky that I wrote about recently, this sculpture made me wonder whether there was a separation between the stand and the form on top or whether it is all one piece. Again, I like the minimal metal stand for its elegance and practicality.
Amba Sayal-Bennett
I don't recall ever seeing overhead projectors in major gallery spaces before. I admit I had little interest in the work itself but was more focused on the display. It was almost reassuring to see that this was 'good enough' for a major gallery, to have projectors just on the floor with all the cables exposed. I rather like overhead projectors for their straightforward function; in this case the acetate image is just as much on display as the projected one as well, the projector is inextricable part of the work unlike modern digital projectors.
Dis/Order - 'Eternal/Muternal Beauty', 2015
I was surprised to find that this was actually my favourite work in the gallery - surprised because it is neon and glaring, and is to do with some kind of cell mutation. I actually really liked how whimsical it was, it made me smile which was a change from all the heavily political works in the adjoining rooms. The presentation was also intriguing, the neon objects were the only things lit in the dark space and created patterns in the darkness. This was a strange kind of museum style display but I can still add it to my growing list of examples; the jars were displayed on shelves like a glowing, postmodern cabinet of curiosities.
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