2024 - Issue 106
Showcasing artists and works that caught my attention last week.
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Repetition is an essential comedic device so it should come as no surprise that amongst the ~90 small scale sculptures from Eric Oglander (@ericoglander) you’ll find some big laughs. Like that lonesome little rocking chair hidden away in a corner. On their own any one of these might appear serious but Oglander is clearly having fun, framing pockets from men’s dress shirts that he fills with quarters, and creating dozens of oddball geometric abstracts that line the shelves. Pride of place, however, goes to his series of miniature working catapults that I so desperately want to play with.
‘Do Nothing Machine’ at Bernheim (@bernheimgallery) until 11 May
We’re still in the infancy of AI but artists have already begun to demonstrate the expansive, sometimes scary and often mind-bending potential of this new technology. In this group show Ben Millar Cole (@benmillarcole), Nouf Aljowaysir (@nouf.py) and Boris Eldagsen (@boriseldagsen) — who won then declined the 2023 World Photography Awards after secretly submitting an AI generated image — succinctly showcase how quickly AI imagery can shift your mind from “Looks real to me” into “WTF?!” overdrive.
‘Post Photography: The Uncanny Valley’ at Palmer Gallery (@palmer.gallery) until 17 May
Marcellina Akpojotor (@marcellina_akpojotor) quite literally adds a wrinkle to the process of painting. Wavy, scrunched-up pieces of patterned Ankara fabric are composited together in what is best described as part collage, part paint-by-numbers. Like pointillism, the heavily textured effect means the works are much easier to “see” from a distance, but you’ll definitely want to get up close to appreciate the detail. The family compositions are fitting and appropriate for Akpojotor’s fabric technique, but I’m excited to see how far she can stretch it.
‘Joy of More Worlds’ at Rele (@relegallery) until 18 May
It’s evident from the quiet domestic scenes that Shaqúelle Whyte (@shaq.whyte) is bringing a fresh perspective to portraiture. But it’s the works with confusing, multi-character interactions that really capture your attention. Tightly cropped scenes blend figures and motion in ways that make you question whether you’re watching one moment in time or many. It’s often unclear what’s happening but impossible to miss the subservient and deferential positions of white males, or the animals that provide surreal juxtapositions. That weird little green girl, however, is what’s keeping me awake at night.
‘Yute, you’re gonna be fine‘ at Pippy Houldsworth Gallery(@pippyhouldsworthgallery) until 25 May
PLUS…
Check the What’s On page so you don’t miss any other great shows closing soon.
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