- Venue
- South Hill Park Arts Centre
- Location
- South East England
The Virtually Sculpture exhibition explores the opportunities of computer aided design on the creation of sculpture and the potential for animation to heighten the reality of two dimensional forms, manifested in PVC, resin, wax and nylon.
Virtually Sculpture as the title of an exhibition is interesting; it gives the viewer an insight into the potential nature of Michael Shaw’s work. Virtually meaning: ‘for the most part; almost wholly; just about,’[1] leaves us to question how these sculptures actually exist?
There are two sculptures made of PVC displayed in the Atrium Bar of South Hill Park. The bright colour and fluid shapes of INF10 and INF3 cause intrigue as they are displayed in the café, in a public space the viewer is left to question the inflatables; what is there purpose and what are they made of? This sense of intrigue highlights the success of the work: they have provoked a reaction. They are covered by natural light in the space from the windows above; being able to see through them gives them another dimension.
The smaller Bracknell Gallery is host to INF7, a grey sculpture made of Ripstop fabric which inflates and deflates. The movement is arguably reminiscent of someone breathing, INF7 has a life of its own, the pace of the movement is slower than a human breath and the movement of the sculpture is relaxing. The visual contrast is striking, this grey sculpture is not necessarily atheistically pleasing unlike the bright sculptures of the Atrium Bar, and it seems to have a different purpose. The anthropomorphic aspect of these sculptures is apparent with the links to breathing. The theories of Donald Judd can be linked, as he believed that: ‘the anthropomorphic presence is not in the object but in the viewer’s emotional experience of the objects human like presence.’ [2] People will react to the sculpture because of this, in a very different way to the response of INF10.
The art critic Clement Greenberg was concerned that minimal art would be nothing more than an ordinary object, INF6 in the Tall Hall of South Hill Park has been likened to an inflatable ring from the beach, it can be argued that these inflatable rings have a potentially nostalgic feel; everyone recognises them and could create memories in the viewer of days at the beach. By putting INF6 into a traditional gallery setting and increasingly the scale of the sculpture, the whole idea of the object has changed; but as the public recognize it they have a relationship with it.
This relationship is not only to the shape of the object but to its material; traditional wood or metal have no place in Shaw’s work. Shaw has created sculpture for a new generation, a mass produced and media obsessed generation; ‘Shaw presents a new sculptural language of playful and weightless forms that depart from the conventional use of bronze and marble…steel, iron or alloy.’ [3]
The Virtually Sculpture exhibition leaves the viewer questioning what sculpture is and how it has an effect on its audience. The success of the sculptures and the exhibition is highlighted in these responses, people can recognize and relate in different ways to the different pieces.
[2] Virtually Sculpture: Michael Shaw, 2008, Loughborough University, Extract: Dr Outi Remes, p13
[3] Virtually Sculpture: Michael Shaw, 2008, Loughborough University, Extract: Dr Outi Remes, p13
