louisewinter

Risk, instability and leverage are words that have become all too familiar against the backdrop of the pervading economic crisis. In the context of Matt Calderwood’s first UK solo exhibition at BALTIC 39, the terms denote the artist’s carefully controlled sculptural systems where materials are transformed into extraordinary structures where every part is essential to maintain a delicate status quo and to avoid the system’s complete collapse- coalition take note.

Calderwood presents a selection of new and recent works including modular sculptures made out of painted plywood, cast rubber and steel. A selection of large-scale, monochrome prints mirror the geometry of several precariously balanced ‘C’ shaped sculptures that are a recurring motif throughout the exhibition. The texture and scale of the prints suggests they were made directly by inking the sculptures and pressing them onto the surface of the paper. This transition from object to image enables the artist to experiment with compositions that, in contrast to the sculptures, are unbound by the laws of gravity.

Continuing his exploration of co-dependency and the impact of environment and process on materials, Calderwood has stacked a series of interlocking Exposure sculptures on the gallery’s roof terrace. In surrendering the objects to the elements, is the artist relinquishing some of the control that characterises the exhibition? Well yes and no. Despite the weathering and decay to which the surfaces attest, the structures will be dismantled and reassembled inside the gallery, before they are allowed to collapse entirely.

Nevertheless, by exploiting the contingency suggested by the exhibition title, and in the absence of any intruding gallery texts, Calderwood succeeds in creating distinctive liminal works that encourage the viewer to construct their own narrative, which, like stepping out onto the roof terrace moments earlier, is a breath of fresh air.

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