Monday, December 21

richard wilson -20:50

One of my favourite sculptures(?) of all time is Richard Wilson's 20:50; an installation that half fills the room with sump oil cutting out a gangway for you to walk into it, creating a) initially, the reflections of the room turned over but b) something you cannot experience (unless you have smell-o-vision) -the powerful reek, impressive, of the oil itself. Was almost vertiginous to stand at the end of the gangway... see the luxurious reflection of the room. Mental. Never saw the piece installed at the County Hall site of Saatchi (see it), that looks more odd (in a good way) but maybe a bit too cute once you have seen the earlier versions. Some other pieces since include Slice of Reality and Turning the Place Over. I now read that it was first exhibited at Matt's Gallery, London (Bow area again...) in 1987, but it became a signature piece of the Saatchi Gallery (when it was at Boundary Road, North London) where I first saw it, and returned to see it whenever anyone came to town. 2003 article about it via The Guardian. Illuminations Media has created a retrospective of Wilson; can't imbed but watch a preview here. More at RichardWilsonSculptor.