Antony Gormley : Body Politic

Stunning exhibition at White Cube Bermondsey of new work by Antony Gormley.

It was only 12 January when I went and yet I suspect I might have found my show of the year! I love Gormley anyway so it was onto a winner but these works looked so good in the space that the whole show became an installation.

I even sat and watched the video about how the pieces were made, which I often skip, and knowing more about the materials and techniques used just added more layers of meaning, although you don’t need that to respond emotionally to the work.

From the grey, block figures lining the corridor with their little hollowed out mouths I was hooked. I loved “Bind”, one figure in a space made from the three strips of iron emerging from the walls, floor and ceiling. You found yourself ducking under the cross bars and trying to work out how it all fitted together.

However my favourite had to be “Resting Place” a room full of figures, each in a different position and made up of 23 blocks of clay. In the video Gormley said at first glance is like a builder’s yard then you think it’s buildings. It is only as you walk into the room that you realise it’s figures. Some are joyous and some look so sad you want to cuddle them. You find yourself showing down as you walk among them, thinking about the poses and their individuality while always realising they are part of a great whole, just like us.

Closed 28 January 2024


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