LONDON.- British artist Sara MacKillop (b. Bromley, 1973) has a practice that is immersed in the world of paper, pens, print and all the trappings and ephemera of the printing and stationery industries. Her dual-site exhibition, Returns and Renewals, is on show at
both PEER from 25 October until 21 December and at Shoreditch Library (across the street from PEER) from 25 October until 1 February. The show launches an ambitious new initiative, PEER in the Library, a year-long series of exhibitions, events and workshops that invites artists and artist collectives to create work that focuses on the spoken and written work in a variety of media.

MacKillop’s approach is intentionally to misunderstand the commonplace objects in her sphere and instead view them through the art historical lens of minimalism and its use of saturated colour and repetition. In this way the work deftly balances literal narrative with abstraction.

For PEER, MacKillop is making an installation that occupies the clean lines of the gallery’s architecture with characteristically elegant restraint. The installation, initially viewed from the street outside through the large plate glass windows is semi-obscured by the gallery blinds, and the audience’s gaze is directed through glass awareness stickers that continue into the gallery. Inside, MacKillop creates an installation comprising Ikea furniture, artist's books and smaller sculptural objects created from commercial readymades and office ephemera. The installation at Shoreditch Library features sculptural work assembled using repatriated library trolleys and furniture currently in use. Swathes of wrapping paper, dispensed from large rolls is hung as a kind of architectural drapery, while a range of smaller objects crafted from paper continues the artist’s exploration the book as sculptural object.

‘My process usually starts by noticing an image or object in an everyday environment and becoming engaged with it, seeing it again, how it’s used or displayed. I retain an openness to the endpoint so finding the final form of the work becomes part of the process itself.’ – Sara MacKillop

MacKillop has an MA in Painting from the Royal College of Art, London. She has exhibited extensively throughout the UK, Europe and the US. Selected solo shows include: Bonnington Gallery, Nottingham (2017), Haus der Kunst, Munich (2016), Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen (2013); Spike Island, Bristol (2011); White Columns, New York (2011). Selected group shows include Book-Work-Book, ICA Milan (2019), Serralves Museum, Porto (2016); Hayward Gallery Touring UK venues (2016);
Westfälischer Kunstverein, Münster (214). She lives and works in London.