Tony Cragg Sculpture - Whitechapel Gallery
Tony Cragg is probably the most significant British sculptor of his generation.
The core of the exhibition consists of large scale sculptures. In Spirogyra, the freshwater algae is transformed into an impressive spiral from which protrude dozens of bottles of different shapes and colours. Secretions turns out to be a mass of round shapes completely covered in dice.
Upstairs, one finds a collection of drawings and more sculptures, such as Subcommittee, a large assortment of inking pads and two rather surprising and unexpected works. As its name suggests, Angel and Other Antibodies consists of a rough chunk of wood with sculpted angels. The second piece, untitled, represents a living room. Both are covered with hundreds of hooks.
The artist’s range of media is striking. He works with found objects in wood, glass, ceramic, plastic and metal, but has also explored casting and carving, even on monumental works. Although the material is the vital catalyst, his creations are also inspired by instinct and various fields of knowledge, particularly science, architecture, technology and history. His early training as a technician in a rubber laboratory has certainly been of influence to him.
Cragg’s most recent work has been motivated by the question : ‘Why am I this shape ?’. He further asks: ‘What if ideas about making sculpture are not about making some sort of adornment for the world, but about investigating medium in a direct sense? Sculpture can bring about changes of all sorts in all areas of human life’.
Whatever the answer, this exhibition will not leave you cold.
