Review of Maud Cotter ‘a consequence of – without stilling’ VAI News Sheet, Jan - Fen 2019
Limerick City Gallery of Art
30 September 2018 – 6 January 2019
The fundamental experience generated by Maud Cotter’s solo exhibition, ‘a consequence of – without stilling’, at Limerick City Gallery of Art (LCGA) is appropriately described in the exhibition text as “a landscape of the mind… where matter and consciousness mix”. Cotter, who was one of the founders of the National Sculpture Factory, Cork, displays an uncanny understanding of, and meticulous control over, the materials she uses, as dramatically evident in two large-scale sculptures: matter of fact (2016), a vast tube-like structure in LCGA’s Foyer Gallery which commands immediate attention; and without stilling (2017–18), a skillfully imagined construction , flowing together with tensioned connection points produced entirely of finely cut Finnish birch ply in the South Gallery.
‘A consequence of – without stilling’ appears as the fantastical world of an artists’ studio, where everything has meaning, and each artwork contributes to the genesis of the next one, in the art-making process. matter of fact gives the initial impression as some sort of mechanical yet organic drawing-like structure, reminiscent of an engine or turbine. Sitting in the Foyer Gallery at the heart of LCGA the scale and intricate detailing of painted grey three point connections and looping mild steel wire demands visitor’s attention and drives the exhibition’s momentum.
Walking through the exhibition, one of the first things that struck me was the prevalence of pencil marks on the walls and sculptures, appearing at first as ‘remnants’ from the process of install and construction. Contrary to what we were taught in art college – that a work is only finished when it’s perfect, without blemish or mark – Cotter uses these pencil lines to make visible the ‘manufacturing’ of artworks and her unfolding thought processes, as part of the planned construction. Initially, it was challenging for me not to perceive these pencil lines as flaws; however, they soon became a recurring thread that helped to anchor individual artworks and give a sense of continuity across the gallery spaces. These marks culminate in the corner of the Link Gallery, where a custom-made table – with construction pencil marks intact –displays small sculptural maquettes, along with an extract from Sarah Kelleher’s ”A Solution is in the Room” text developed in collaboration with Coracle Press.
‘A consequence of – without stilling’ includes numerous material amalgamations, constructed in seemingly found materials such as a rubber hose, lengths of wire and cable, hazard tape and cotton netting reminiscent of a discarded and re-purposed fishing net. Cotter displays a thoroughly developed understanding of how in-congruent materials might relate to each other, while giving organic form to the artist’s inner-world. In the Ante Gallery, we are led by an elegant triangular construction with draped latex, sitting obstructively in your path, titled & bone (2017–18) is constructed of more smooth birch ply and found material. Like many of the pieced together amalgamations, it incorporates materials of industry or construction, from the hazard tape which sits on either stretched arm of & bone (2017–18) to the Rubber hose, Waterford Crystal and high tension cable which comprise three phallic-like dangling constructions, titled a dappled world/ one, two & three (2017), Cotter masterfully shapes these materials into the most prepossessing and aesthetically alluring organic-like forms.
Without stilling in the South Gallery feels like entering the artist’s personal imaginary aquarium. Hundreds of Finnish birch ply formations – shaped like child-like drawings of fish – have been knitted together repetitively, to create an asymmetrical natural form, reminiscent of a large school of fish, swimming in unison in mid-air with an undeniable sense of movement. This along with the cotton netting in Falling into many pieces | Three (2016) and the moon is falling (2018) forms for me an undeniable nautical tone with notions of conservation and pollution. Cotter reworks materials into powerful formations with materials which easily could have been discarded through a manufacturing or industrial undertakings and perhaps even sourced entirely from our sea’s. We only must look at our own beaches in Ireland to find many of these materials readily available.
Cotter produced a true landscape of play in LCGA where materials combining the found with the formed, implant a true experience of internal consciousness. The work reflects a desire to propagate form and idea and instill order in the chaotic and discarded. Cotter’s current exhibition at LCGA will be followed by two subsequent iterations: ‘a consequence of – a breather of air’ at The Dock, Carrick-on-Shannon, in spring 2019; and ‘a consequence of – entanglement’ at Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane in 2020.
Limerick City Gallery of Art
30 September 2018 – 6 January 2019
The fundamental experience generated by Maud Cotter’s solo exhibition, ‘a consequence of – without stilling’, at Limerick City Gallery of Art (LCGA) is appropriately described in the exhibition text as “a landscape of the mind… where matter and consciousness mix”. Cotter, who was one of the founders of the National Sculpture Factory, Cork, displays an uncanny understanding of, and meticulous control over, the materials she uses, as dramatically evident in two large-scale sculptures: matter of fact (2016), a vast tube-like structure in LCGA’s Foyer Gallery which commands immediate attention; and without stilling (2017–18), a skillfully imagined construction , flowing together with tensioned connection points produced entirely of finely cut Finnish birch ply in the South Gallery.
‘A consequence of – without stilling’ appears as the fantastical world of an artists’ studio, where everything has meaning, and each artwork contributes to the genesis of the next one, in the art-making process. matter of fact gives the initial impression as some sort of mechanical yet organic drawing-like structure, reminiscent of an engine or turbine. Sitting in the Foyer Gallery at the heart of LCGA the scale and intricate detailing of painted grey three point connections and looping mild steel wire demands visitor’s attention and drives the exhibition’s momentum.
Walking through the exhibition, one of the first things that struck me was the prevalence of pencil marks on the walls and sculptures, appearing at first as ‘remnants’ from the process of install and construction. Contrary to what we were taught in art college – that a work is only finished when it’s perfect, without blemish or mark – Cotter uses these pencil lines to make visible the ‘manufacturing’ of artworks and her unfolding thought processes, as part of the planned construction. Initially, it was challenging for me not to perceive these pencil lines as flaws; however, they soon became a recurring thread that helped to anchor individual artworks and give a sense of continuity across the gallery spaces. These marks culminate in the corner of the Link Gallery, where a custom-made table – with construction pencil marks intact –displays small sculptural maquettes, along with an extract from Sarah Kelleher’s ”A Solution is in the Room” text developed in collaboration with Coracle Press.
‘A consequence of – without stilling’ includes numerous material amalgamations, constructed in seemingly found materials such as a rubber hose, lengths of wire and cable, hazard tape and cotton netting reminiscent of a discarded and re-purposed fishing net. Cotter displays a thoroughly developed understanding of how in-congruent materials might relate to each other, while giving organic form to the artist’s inner-world. In the Ante Gallery, we are led by an elegant triangular construction with draped latex, sitting obstructively in your path, titled & bone (2017–18) is constructed of more smooth birch ply and found material. Like many of the pieced together amalgamations, it incorporates materials of industry or construction, from the hazard tape which sits on either stretched arm of & bone (2017–18) to the Rubber hose, Waterford Crystal and high tension cable which comprise three phallic-like dangling constructions, titled a dappled world/ one, two & three (2017), Cotter masterfully shapes these materials into the most prepossessing and aesthetically alluring organic-like forms.
Without stilling in the South Gallery feels like entering the artist’s personal imaginary aquarium. Hundreds of Finnish birch ply formations – shaped like child-like drawings of fish – have been knitted together repetitively, to create an asymmetrical natural form, reminiscent of a large school of fish, swimming in unison in mid-air with an undeniable sense of movement. This along with the cotton netting in Falling into many pieces | Three (2016) and the moon is falling (2018) forms for me an undeniable nautical tone with notions of conservation and pollution. Cotter reworks materials into powerful formations with materials which easily could have been discarded through a manufacturing or industrial undertakings and perhaps even sourced entirely from our sea’s. We only must look at our own beaches in Ireland to find many of these materials readily available.
Cotter produced a true landscape of play in LCGA where materials combining the found with the formed, implant a true experience of internal consciousness. The work reflects a desire to propagate form and idea and instill order in the chaotic and discarded. Cotter’s current exhibition at LCGA will be followed by two subsequent iterations: ‘a consequence of – a breather of air’ at The Dock, Carrick-on-Shannon, in spring 2019; and ‘a consequence of – entanglement’ at Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane in 2020.
"Gurgle" by Sáerlaith Molloy | "be.cause" Degree Show 2017 Limerick School of Art and Design, commision from CIRCA Art Magazine.
The Sculpture and Combined Media (SCM) department stood head and shoulders above its peers this year, putting together a cohesive group exhibition which seemed to ebb and flow harmoniously. The installation of work was near flawless, barring a minor infestation of ants with Emma Osterloh’s Ushukela sugar piece, which only added to the experience. Like many other graduate exhibitions the Limerick show entitled ‘be.cause’, produced some challenging and remarkable artworks, none more so than Gurgle, a durational performance by Sáerlaith Molloy.
Gurgle was difficult to watch, as the artist’s mouth filled with water flowing from a mass of nipples suspended above. Molloy, attempting to make sounds, gargle and breathe, would choke and eventually gag, ejecting the water, on occasion splashing the audience. The experience intensified as the artist became more practised in her actions, progressing towards what felt like a premeditated climax. This made for difficult viewing, particularly for those new to this durational form of performance which by its nature, seeks to provoke and challenge its audience.
Molloy, one of three performance artists in SCM, created an uncomfortable extrapolation of the physicality of language, referencing the female body and voice as abject and object. With abstracted utterances, vocal reverberations, and physical, gestural actions Gurgle produced an experience which questioned the apparent nature of language. For me Molloy’s performance further investigated notions of female autonomy, through non-verbal and gagged communication: as the water overwhelmed Molloy, she was, by her own action, violently silenced, only to try again and again. This sense of bodily investigation was further compounded by Molloy’s central ‘prop’, a constructed latex and metal object which in its own right was an appealing and well constructed form. This mass of fleshy latex had the vague appearance of breasts which spewed coloured water through nipples. The liquid was then collected in a metal receptacle, which also mapped out the performance space. From Molloy’s multi-coloured hair, which referenced the dyed water, to her uncomfortable constructed latex and metal studded costume, which referenced the mass of breasts and nipples, it combined to create a precise aesthetic flow which was pleasing to experience.
Molloy was one of few young artists who in November 2016 to January 2017 participated in Amanda Coogan’s exhibition, ‘I’ll Sing You a Song from Around the Town’ in Limerick City Gallery of Art. This experience already indicated Molloy’s commitment to this art-form and stood to her in the development of Gurgle. The consideration to what’s left behind perhaps influenced by this experience also. Molloy’s unflinching execution of Gurgle held the attention of its audience engendering a necessity to witness it in its entirety. The piece was roughly 30 minutes long and, to Molloy’s credit, was enacted daily throughout the run of ‘be.cause’.
Gurgle was arduous yet thoroughly considered, building in intensity through considered choreography and repetitive actions, further lifted by a multitude of subtle and deliberate details. All of which came together in a conceptually complex and aesthetically beautiful performance, the impact of which cannot be undervalued.
For a video of the performance visit the artist’s website
