Art For Thought

The Saatchi Gallery is currently displaying ‘The Way of All Flesh,’ presented by Delphian Gallery, on until the 3rd of March. Incredibly exciting times for the participating artists, which include Eva Dixon, whom also participated in my curated show ‘Intuition Goes Before You’ last August on Soho Square, Mia Wilkinson and Manon Steyaert.

The show is curated over the first two rooms on the left of the main entrance, and it delves into visceral introspection of the human object, driving importance to the choice of the title with the word flesh. The works chosen for the show are bodily explorations of subjects that want the audience to question materiality in relation to the physicality of the work and the audience itself.

You should already be aware of Dixon’s work, as a championed artist of mine through the aforementioned exhibition and soon-to-be-published book which will include writing from myself as well (order here). Eva challenges the basic need of the canvas stretchers, often by up-cycling found materials, and interacts with it giving it a central role. The materials then applied on these stretchers range from hand-sewn fabrics, to tape, acrylic and spray paint, paracord and eye hooks - objects one would easily find in a construction site.

Mia Wilkinson’s works play on visceral response feelings of disgust, laughter and transgression, through the means of sarcasm, exaggerated expressionism and wet on wet application of paint on her canvases which create a dripping feeling of over-dramatising of her characters. The titles of her works also perfectly reflect such goals explored in her art.

Manon Steyaert skilfully ties painting and sculpture into one. Her main focus on silicone provides a bridge between paint and fabric, with such material that embodies both. She goes through meticulous processes of mixing and pouring to create the desired draped fabric-looking effect onto the canvases which are at the base of her works. Steyaert’s recent reference to Old Master paintings have resulted into a focus on pastel colours bringing to life works of art with etherial connotations.

Just in the room after ‘The Way of All Flesh,’ this time on the right of the gallery, Studio: Response’s fourth edition is held.

Here, Melania Toma is exhibiting amongst six others, curated by Dominic Beattie.

Toma’s works encapsulate different worlds within one, through the exploration of raw earth materials such as wool, sand, and pigment powders mixed to create paint. The materiality used in Melania’s works speak of further connections of universal language that unite all existence.

Her 2D canvases transform into sculptural works with the application of such materials, highlighting the connection with nature and her works. For this introspective process of the just-mentioned connection, her residency at Fundación Casa Wabi in Mexico was crucial.

In symbiosis with her paintings are also her ‘totems,’ monumental sculptures she typically creates in-situ once commissioned - these are not on show at Saatchi Gallery, but due to the importance of their aspect in her practice they are surely important to mention.

Soho Revue is showcasing the works of artist Nooka Shepherd, described by herself as love tokens to be experienced and made personal by the viewer in response to the human experience of the world and its events. Dr Chantall Powell writes in her essay about the exhibition that “Nooka’s tokens are a call to a re-enchanting and re-souling of the world. Like a Siren’s song there is a spell being spun and a dance being drawn out giddily towards the stuff of fae and folkore, mystery and magic. Corporeal forms slide into otherly spaces, boundaries blurring in a place where harpies, hares, seraphs and humans cohabit.”

Nooka’s characters look as if they were from another world, and yet they are human, they are us - reminding the audience of a connection with our alter egos, our higher selves, and a potential different dimension we could tap in.

From paintings to works on paper, the exhibition also includes ceramics, embroideries and etchings of tarot major arcana - an ongoing printing project created in collaboration with Soho Revue’s printing studio.