FREDRIKSON STALLARD
'Intuitive Gestures'
13 September- 28 September 2017
David Gill Gallery
2-4 King Street
St. James's, London
SW1Y 6QP
UK
FREDRIKSON STALLARD
Intuitive Gestures
13 September- 28 September
David Gill Gallery presents ‘Intuitive Gestures‘ an exhibition of new work by Fredrikson Stallard.
13 September – 28 September 2017
“Every work is born from a gestural, expressive moment in time; a series of temporal actions become recorded through permanent objects” – Fredrikson Stallard
David Gill Gallery stages Intuitive Gestures, an exhibition of new work by Fredrikson Stallard.
The title, Intuitive Gestures indicates how the artists’ work is a translation of physical human movement and subconscious thought, coming together with the reactive qualities of materials and processes through the precision of digital technology to record an energetic moment of making. It highlights the binary between the laboured process of over-considered form creation and the free moment where instinct and physical gestures are allowed precedence.
Standout pieces include the new Antarctica collection; a striking dining table, stools and coffee table made entirely of acrylic. For Fredrikson Stallard, the concept always precedes the functioning element of the object. The Antarctica collection captures the visceral action and immediacy of hacking away at blocks of ice. This moment of violence in the natural world is frozen in stillness in the resulting forms of the furniture. The raw inner qualities of the pieces juxtapose with the smooth surface finish, catching the light in a way that alters the appearance of the piece and the environment around it. Fredrikson Stallard describe this effect as “painting with light”.
Fredrikson Stallard work with the way metals react to the elements, whether that be rust or patination of steel and bronze: “we embrace the element of chance in the natural way metals react over time”. This effect can be seen in the deep colour of the new Scriptus shelves. The vast, modular unit measures five metres in total. Its wavering shelf lines take their cue from the gentle strokes of hand-drawn calligraphy lines, intuitively applied to a page rather than deliberately precise.
As is evident in much of Fredrikson Stallard’s work, they use a variety of materials in remarkable ways. The marble-like appearance of the Homage table lamp derives from the use of alabaster, a raw mineral or rock stretched so finely that the resulting effect is translucent enough to let light shine through.
Other pieces in the exhibition are borne from previous bodies of work. Fredrikson Stallard’s highly covetable Crush table, produced with David Gill Gallery in 2012, has been re-imagined as a functional desk. For this piece, the artists work with sheet metal, forming it by hand to produce the dynamic ‘crushed’ effect. Although strict control and force has been applied in the creation process, the metal is allowed freedom to react the way it wants to, retaining a feeling of spontaneity and effortlessness in the final piece.
“Their work has a signature of artists exploring materials and form outside the design language.The gallery ethos has been a platform for Artists to show the most contemporary Avant Garde in art, architecture and design.” – David Gill
BIOGRAPHY
Patrik Fredrikson and Ian Stallard began their collaboration in 1995 and have since become internationally recognized as leading exponents of British avant-garde design. They are well known for their ability to translate their creativity into simple yet emotionally engaging furniture and product design. Their work has been acquired by the French National Art Collection and twice by the Victoria and Albert Museum, and shown at the Design Museum in London, SFMoMA and the Museum of Art and Design in New York.
FREDRIKSON STALLARD ‘INTUITIVE GESTURES 2017’
David Gill Gallery
13 September – 28 September 2017
Join the conversation
#FredriksonStallard
For enquiries please contact: info@davidgillgallery.com
For press enquiries please contact: press@davidgillgallery.com