Pae White at the South London Gallery
I did my favourite thing this bank holiday weekend – stayed in London while everyone else left. We went to the South London Gallery for a mooch and some lunch. I liked the building itself, with its modern extension and cute garden – if you visit, make sure you go upstairs so you can ogle next door’s potential as a home. Politely, it’s not that tidy.
Before we started eyeing up the local property, we went into the main gallery space to see the installation, Too Much Night, Again, by LA artist Pae White. Her work often explores unexpected uses for materials and this piece is about insomnia, and the weird and troubling thoughts that insomniacs have in the night. Pae herself is a sufferer.
Photo by Andy Keate
It’s made out of acrylic threads, stretched between the walls in an extraordinary geometric mesh. On one side, spelling out TIGER TIME and on the other, UNMATTERING. The choice of colours references a Black Sabbath album cover, which used to terrify Pae as a child and had to be hidden under her bed when she wanted to sleep.
Photo by Andy Keate
Photo by Andy Kite
Walking through all of the yarn was lovely and although touching was forbidden (waking nightmare if you’re taking young children – apt given the subject) photography was not, so loads of people were instagramming madly.
The exhibition only runs until 12 May. If you want to know what Pae’s workspace looks like, go here and if you want behind-the-scenes footage of how her work was installed, watch this…
I’m sorry, but this art is SO “full of nothing”. Insomnia must be a VERY empty place.
Afterall, whose hands are responsible for this installation? I love your blog, but this “art” is
B. S., in my opinion.
Fair enough Linda, we encourage all truths! I think my companion probably agrees with you – he was most unimpressed with the choice of words.
The video revealed the degree of her inspiration, as well as her substance. (both minimal)…The “icing on the cake” was her distance from “the process”. Her ” worker- bees” were working…she was merely pontificating…I thought of the Egyptian pyramids being constructed by slave labor.
Wow! And I’ve missed it : (
I think the installation itself is quite interesting…..but the project manager is the artist in my opinion….