15 August 2016

Yelena Popova and Michael Beutler at Nottingham Contemporary

It might be summer, but it sure hasn't been a holiday so far (sigh), so actually coming back to the blog as a sure-fire way to release some thoughts, and hopefully, shake off the fear of dissertation work. Who would have thought that a two month break away from readings and writing would be so tough to return to?

Anyway, my sole week off in the last few month or so was spent at home, playing a lot of video games, being fed by my family, cuddling kittens, but also some excursions to visit Katie. One way to redeem myself before heading back to work was to visit the Contemporary's new show; after being so impressed with the previous Simon Starling show, I hoped this one would be just as engaging!

This time, the galleries had been split between two artists, local artist Yelena Popova, and Michael Beutler. Katie and I started off with Yelena Popova in Gallery; In the first room Popova used a combination of mixed media, using sound, video, painting and installation. However, the star piece was in Gallery 2 debuting Popova's piece called After Image. The installation was made up of a series of large paintings, and an assortment of smaller paintings on rectangular, circular and ovular canvases. The concept alluded to the life and death of images, and the expectation of the audience as constant voyeurs of images. The paintings were created from light pigments on heavy, dark canvas, making the pictures seem faded, or as Popova describes them, evaporated. In the light of the room, the paintings 'emerge or withdraw', bringing out a sense of of an almost ghostly energy.

The installation felt very fresh and simple, and quite frankly was absolutely beautiful to explore. I was less inclined to the images, but more interested in the collection as a whole, cleverly strung together with supple pieces of wood holding the paintings in the balance. The one pale blue wall brought a warmth to the pinks and greens in the paintings, and against the three other white walls evoked the feeling of the sea, the pieces as eroded rocks and shells, and weathered pieces of drift wood. It was very easy to get lost in the details of it, and charmed by the clusters of earthy objects. The piece was quiet, comfortable, and as you can see in the many Instagram photographs, ironically easy to make beautiful images from. 







Next door, Michael Beutler was a complete contrast and so an energetic explosion for us. It was the first time I had been to a more interactive exhibition at the Contemporary, and it was a great way to use such a large and bright space. Beutler's work is colourful, inviting and exaggerated, transforming what can be, and often is, a more serious white-cube style gallery, into a playground. The work was made of several makeshift walls, made of a variety of materials; coloured paper, plastic, cardboard, and fabric were all involved. Inspired by traditional Japanese paper walls, the interiors looked as though it was the artists studio, left to rest at the weekend. We again played voyeurs, finding tools, notes, buckets of glue and makeshift machines, used to squash, fold and shape paper into bricks or giant squiggles, or oversized paper waffles dotted around the installation. We enjoyed the aestheticism of the colours, textures, and haphazard placements of so much stuff, bits of paper taped to the walls, string and remnants scattered around that doesn't look far from the mess of my desk at home. The comfort that Beutler gives is one of a childlike daring, where anything is possible. Where Popova's installation is reflective and contemplative, Beutler's is spontaneous and unhindered by the anxiety of age and expectation.









Again I was thoroughly impressed with the show, especially involving a local artist. I enjoyed the pairing of the two practitioners, contrasting in colour, density and interactivity which clearly had been  thought through for the local audience in Nottingham; as the school holidays have begun, what would be more enticing and intriguing than a giant green paper waffle in the window, and the peace and cool temperature of a gallery? From a design history perspective, I enjoyed the way that the exhibitions highlighted each other, and both artists displayed their process as an important aspect of their work. As two very tactile exhibitions, I appreciated that the outcomes were more than just the aesthetic value of their work, which will always look impressive in pictures, but beyond that is about interacting with the work in the space. The exhibition served two kinds of exploration; a truly experiential installation that transfers you into a world of oversized fun and colour, and the layers of meaning we find in creating, looking and documenting images. Looking forward to the next one, Contemporary!