So it was back to Kentish Town’s foremost gallery to see part two of one of 2013’s major exhibitions, Painting From the Zabludowicz Collection.
The first room is entitled Painting in the 2.5th Dimension, and groups together artists whose work explores and challenges the notion of two dimensional paintings, incorporating traditional three dimensional notions of sculpture, print, photography. Tauba Auerbach’s piece Fold inspired the title of this show, which wavers between 2-D and 3-D, in her own words “floating in the 2.5th Dimension”.
Her Fold paintings are creased, spray-painted and flattened, leaving beautiful memory lines; while Rosy Keyser’s wonderfully titled work Eve’s First Confusion Between Penises and Snakes sees her canvas literally falling off the frame.
In the centre of the room hangs Sam Falls’ Eight Tires, Black, Los Angeles, a draped fabric with muddy dog paw prints over the top of eight eclipsed circles, a reflection of LA’s car culture.
But studying the piece, I could hear Alex Hubbard’s soundscape from his video installations echoing from the first floor gallery, adding another dimension: at first positive and affirming, juxtaposed with the sounds of waves and crickets, ice cream vans and seagulls, it quickly turned dark and hollow: all drills, sawing, hammering, cutting, bashing. Mesmerised, I stayed put.
I went upstairs to investigate what Alex Hubbard’s work was actually about. It’s a film of the artist cutting shapes through paper thin wood, creating electric shots of neon light; a captivating Hammer Horror style grainy video of a very simple lo-fi process which produces stunning hi-fi effects, using colour gels, lighting and eerie drone sounds. The result? A powerful shifting of light and shape.
Then there is the work of Josh Smith showing a definite anarchic influence from Albert Oehlen: mixed media collages, an aluminium Stop sign, a stage painting of one of his Josh Smith signatures. Also on display is a selection of his handmade books, filled with sketches, work he carries around with him, forever creating, never stopping.
The master is, of course Albert Oehlen. His vibrant Evilution piece and Nr9 from Part 1 of this exhibition have been rehung in this show and interspersed with other recent pieces. For many young artists the display of such important works from this artist and anarchist will be the first time that they will have seen him up close and personal. And within the cavernous space of the Zabludowicz, the viewer can gain a true perspective of these explosions of colour and composition.
Both parts of the show have been extraordinary and if you loved it or missed out you can now get your hands on a quite lovely hard-backed book; I had a sneak preview of it this week and it looks like a very worthy companion to what has to be one of the Zabludowicz’s finest shows since its inception back in 2007.
Paintings runs until August 11 at Zabludowicz Collection, Prince Of Wales Road. Admission is free
