- Venue
- Bracknell Gallery, South Hill Park Art Centre
- Location
- South East England
What would you think about the iconic images of England? About such icons as the Union Jack, the Palace of Westminster, the Royals, the Beatles, the ever so charming weather or the ‘pound’? How then do we construct a narrative out of physical and visible objects, which could recall our cultural identity of the past and present? There are many different and interesting ways to answer of these questions, some exemplary examples of which are presented by the Shropshire based artist Carl Jaycock in his new solo exhibition ‘Excavating England’. This exhibition provides a vivacious, ironical and witty observation of the British culture, which involves the observer with a dense nostalgic atmosphere and draws associations with the mass media and popular culture.
Taking place in the Bracknell Gallery, South Hill Park, Jaycock’s exhibition contains various materials, such as print, photography and objects, which are mainly presented by manners of installation, assemblage and collage. The cleverness and variety of the arrangement brings every individual fragments into a colorful and united harmony rather than merely fragile pieces without connection. And the harmony of the exhibition is complimented by the gently flowing music that suffuses the gallery space. Interestingly, the connection between each work could be observed as a semiotic contrast, which implies extended meanings with reference to a cultural and social context. For example, British skies and World’s skies (2008) and Galileo’s Worlds in a Fruit Bowel (2007), could together be accounted as a group, underneath which the romantic gaze of a concealed allegory is expressed—the distinctive human history and culture undergo through the similar skies; we sometimes ignore the most beautiful essence that exists and is taken for granted.
Furthermore, It appears to me that typography is a crucial element of the exhibition as a whole, not only the great amount of usage, but also it enables these printed materials to be deeply associated with our life and thereby applies a culture context to the surfaces Therefore, typography is a medium which could carry various conceptions and multiple-interpretations. In Sweeping Away the Old Flags (2004), we see a bunch of mop-like objects that appear to be sweeping the dust on the floor, as is their supposed function. However, when we look closer, it turns out mops and ‘dust’ are made from fragments of paper flags. This suddenly raises a vivid dialogue between ‘sweeping’ and the flags, which are politically symbolic and this could be construed as a sarcastic comment on the contentious nature of the world politics. To take another example, Peace Rose (2006), this beautiful assemblage artfully interpenetrates the implication of the card, roses as well as the behavior of ‘presenting’ itself. Some of these little cards bear the names of countries, whilst others express words of endearments for someone’s beloved. When they are displayed together, this piece of wall turns into a memorial, which prompts the observer to associate the piece with death and war. It seems to me that the commonplace expression of blessing cards and roses are diluted by means of the juxtaposition between the two types of names, and releases a feeling of humanitarianism instead. In addition, the cooperation between digital technique and typography further embodies the ideas of the artist, Universal Mankind Fruit Stall (after DaVinci)(2006), Hybryds-Fruit (2006-8) that skillfully links the notion of hybridism in its biological sense with the multicultural composition of modern day society.
As a vehicle of information, typography is undoubtedly associated with the mass media and popular culture, especially the influence of television and the press. Diana in The Stars (2007), Charles Who’s Land is it Anyway? (2006) and Blair The History Man- Time Will Tell (2006), these three pieces ironically depict a phenomenon that combines the apotheosis of celebrity by the crowd and the all-pervasive vision of them that comes from the television and the press. Nevertheless, there is still a historical message being shown between these lines. Accordingly, these printed images not only represent their surface meanings, but also horizontally expand the information and rouse connotations in the mind of the observer derived from his or her individual experience and opinions.
Next to the main space of Bracknell Gallery is another room for the Gaza Israel Tomatoes project, which could be regarded as a political statement of the artist. The project combines various types of materials. However, typography is again is the major medium through which the conceptual and visual imagery is mediated. The image of tomatoes (even real tomatoes) is initiated from the purchase of the artist, the behavior of buying and consumer triggers, his enquiry of a contemporary food chain in terms of capitalist civilisation, which comprises the place of production and global trade. For the artist, the food chain is not only related to the consumption of daily meals, but also embraces his perception of the unequal balance between producers and consumers in the process of global trade. In addition, through the use of tomatoes, one of the most common food items in our daily lives, this project endeavors to suggest that everyone is involved in this imbalance, regardless of their individual determination.
In conclusion, Carl Jaycock creates an artistic and nostalgic portrayal of our shared materialized civilization, in which both history and culture are embraced. In this exhibition, the artist’s memory and keen observation are incorporated into the cleaver manner in which he represents the fashion of civilization. Through photos, typography materials and music, in which various popular icons are employed, he enables viewers to immerse themselves in this nostalgic atmosphere and evoke connections with their own memories. This exhibition reveals the artist’s own conception of his culture and nationality, but to some extent, it also expresses a collective identity that appeals to a wider range of human experience.
