ART|WRITING

Notes on “Ubiquity II” and “Museo Jumex in Residence”

A visit to South London Gallery offers an opportunity for art-driven cogitation

Mind the splinters! *all photos by author)

Debris or hubris? That was my first question when I ventured through the doors of the exhibition room where Leonardo Drew’s Ubiquity II was being shown. Was this the aftermath of a storm, the detritus left behind? Or was this the result of unchallenged, nature-defying, excessive human pride? More importantly, I pondered, was this what the Apocalypse would look like?

There were “sorrys” being heard here, there, and everywhere

Drew’s Pollock-inspired installation shocks you from the word go. In fact, I, like many other visitors, tried to duck the pieces of broken wood on the floor. I even heard a typical British “Oh, sorry!” being muttered whenever someone stepped on a plank.

As abstract works go, however, Drew’s random heap towers are not very cryptic. Given what’s happened in his country of birth (Leonardo hails from Connecticut) it’s not difficult to read his latest piece as a failure of the American Dream. Especially if you’re an immigrant under the current Trump administration.