Bloom of All 2012

Curator: Welcome! Here we have "Bloom of All" from 2012. Editor: Oh, hello there! My immediate sense is one of playful austerity. Stark forms, bold colours, scattered almost… carelessly? I find it bizarre and unsettling in equal measure. Curator: Bizarre isn’t a term one often uses with minimalist sculpture, yet it resonates! "Bloom of All" exists very much in a dialogue with art’s institutional settings: think galleries and the dynamics of space. The choice to arrange geometric forms in an otherwise vacant room challenges our understanding of sculpture as object versus sculpture as intervention, specifically into public viewing space. Editor: An intervention, yes! It is as though a rogue Mondrian exploded and the shards reassembled themselves randomly in this pristine cube. The playful nature feels deliberate in that, perhaps… almost a satire of seriousness. Curator: Yes! Consider the historical trajectory. From Rodin's monumental bronzes intended to provoke civic virtue to these playful shapes scattered around in this gallery space in an almost mocking way, the artist encourages you, in particular, to become conscious of your position as an observer and question the unwritten regulations and accepted behaviours. Editor: Mocking. Absolutely. Do you ever wonder if art secretly laughs at us? What's more, the shadows are equally critical elements! Each block casting an impish doppelganger on the immaculate walls. The play of light feels just as vital as form and material! Curator: Exactly. It draws on the socio-political, highlighting the complex interplay between artwork, space, and spectator and offering opportunities for social commentary, or the subtle destabilizing of expected forms and functions of art. Editor: Beautifully said. Ultimately, though, regardless of context, or artistic intention, or the nature of spectator participation, I am captivated, or, maybe, I have been brilliantly punked by cleverness. Either way, Bravo! Curator: Well, I believe we’ve both illuminated fresh angles on this artwork today, showcasing that public art never lives within a vacuum! Thank you!