At the moment the Institute has two exhibitions. I particularly liked 'By Leafy Ways', the early works of Ivor Abrahams, exploring the unnatural realm of the English Garden. The way in which we tame nature for our own is quite fascinating, a topic that struck me in Kate Fox's 'Watching the English' (recommended reading).
I followed the stairs down and came to the second exhibition; 'Against Nature: the hybrid forms of modern sculpture'. Once again, the balance between what is human and what is nature is in address. One of my friends recently deemed the word 'unnatural' invalid and I think he has a point. It is a rambling point though, not yet fit for blogging. Below is a 'Chimera' by Dimitrie Paciurea (1975-1932).
I have never been very excited by sculpture, for reasons that I will try to apply to this particular visit. Abrahams' screenprints emit a nostalgic quality that his 3D work does not, making me wonder of the psychology behind it. Hold an object in your hands and it is immediately real, whole. The flat surface of an photograph or film perhaps allows us to peer in, imagining an existence beyond.
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