Acanthus, asymmetrically, refers to a new work made by Wilding for the Offer Waterman gallery’s entrance hall in London and is inspired by the building’s heritage as the former headquarters of William Morris & Co.
This site-specific wall piece; comprising hand-printed wallpaper with sculptural element attached, translates and re-imagines the Acanthus motif of Morris, rendered with a deliberate asymmetry, typical of Wilding’s sculpture. The exhibition at Offer Waterman’s Mayfair gallery includes 12 new and recent sculptures, alongside a selection of works on paper and prints.
Whilst she is known for the broad range of materials Wilding has used in her sculpture, apparently delighting in the tension between hard and soft, transparent and opaque etc.
She pragmatically refutes that materiality is a significant driver in her work, stating: ‘I’m not obsessed with materials and if I have used a huge variety over the years it’s because there’s lots of it freely available in the world. I don’t believe in a hierarchy of materials. All materials, however mundane, can be transformed’.
Accompanies the exhibition, Alison Wilding: Acanthus, asymmetrically at Offer Waterman, London (6 May – 21 June 2017). |