Filed under: Art | Tags: Alison Jacques, Art, Exhibition, Photography, Ryan McGinley, Woo
HERE
Check my wee mention of the man himself down below.
I’m greeted at the exhibition entrance by a nice gentleman in black attire, and he informs me that I shouldn’t take photos or touch the artwork. This being pretty basic knowledge when visiting galleries, I smiled and thought to myself “Well duh” then carried on into the exhibition space. It became quite obvious however as I looked at the work that not touching would be quite a difficult task…
I love Mr Koons’ humour and playfulness. There were many smiles and flickers of amusement on people’s faces as they wandered through the gallery and pondered over the work. I really hesitate to say that Mr Koons’ work ‘challenges’ it’s audience, because it seems so detached, (and it ‘s one of those horrible overused words used to describe art) but it does in that it plays with our expectations and what we are familiar with. His exhibition at The Serpentine consists of several installations of his casts of inflatable toys, and some large scale canvases. It felt like an amazing illusion of a fairground.
In the same way you stare at an Escher and wonder just how? Or step back from a great magic show and reconsider the feat that has just been achieved. How did they manage that? How am I falling for this trick?! You cannot help when looking at this series of work, but wonder how can this inflatable toy.. not be, that in truth it is an absolutely uncanny aluminium replica?
I stared so close, and so long at some of the pieces, that had everyone not been doing the same I’d have looked like a right loony. Down to the tiny tiny creases that you never consciously acknowledge, the way the surfaces reflect light, the crumpled edges of the seams, they were all captured-not one element amiss. It was spellbinding.
No matter how hard I scrutinised the inflata-minium there would just be fleeting moments where I could really say AHA! There it is! I can definitely tell its metal here! But you turn away and see another piece of work, and your mind is sent into a great new puzzle again.
At this point you realise really why that nice gentleman in black attire kindly mentioned not to touch the work. Because you have this great honking desire to want to confirm what your eyes can’t distinguish. It was excruciating trying to beat back the urge to reach out and find a cool surface, to understand the confusion…but that just spoils the fun doesn’t it?
Jeff Koons Popeye series continues until September 13th at The Serpentine. I urge you to go have your mind befuddled. (Pstt, IT’S FREE)
