LONDON.- Griffin Gallery is presenting the group exhibition Pool, exploring the expanded field of painting via the device of a constructed landscape, a garden, with works brought together as an immersive experience. Thirteen artists, all of whom work in and around painting, have been asked to make work that alludes to this theme. As the show has developed, new connections between the works have become apparent, and aims have altered and shifted. The construct of a garden has acted as a frame in itself, with ideas embedded in individual pieces moving in and outside its own boundaries.
The show begins before walking into the gallery with paintings that appear and disappear with blasts of steam. Entry to the body of the show is via an immersive work that also presents a tunnel into another world. Once inside, viewers will find suggestions of paths with glimpses and vistas appearing as they progress, both of the garden of works itself and landscapes beyond.
Embracing the openness and inclusivity that is implied by the expanded field, Pool includes framed 2D pieces, moving out into sculptural work, video and performance. Works that are hung on the wall discuss space; interior space, the spatial language of painting, the space outside the painting as paint pools and sits on the surface of its support. Continuing to move beyond the frame, time is embedded in many of the works, the deep time of geological formations, the contemplative time of walking, the present time of performance, and future time in work that will decompose, to be shown again in a new form.
Viewers are encouraged to engage with the show directly through deckchairs that can be moved around the space, and a bench for conversation. A performance will happen during the show, unannounced, working with and around the works, possibly undocumented, probably leaving no trace. A path leads to a door in the wall, offering a glimpse of a flickering pool, and the process of washing pigment is shown in a swirling film, suggesting the endless possibilities of painting.
