Laura Wilson. Folds

About

 Every Saturday visitors to the gallery are able to observe the traditional process of hand-carving and the artist’s acquisition of this skill. Dough and stone constitute elemental forms of sustenance and abode within most societies. Knowledge of how to mould and craft these materials has been passed on through generations but in the contemporary world the number of people who possess these skills is dwindling. During Folds the transference of stonemasonry techniques to the artist is made public, emphasising the collaboration and time necessary to gain this kind of knowledge. The folds of dough hanging from their supports and the live carving of the stone reference the drapery in classical sculpture and the ghosts of ancient life models and stonemasons. In Folds Wilson uses the duration of the show to highlight the window in time during which the fresh dough decays; skills are learnt; the stone is sculpted; and visitors come and go. At the close of the exhibition all that remains are the folds of dough petrified in the immutable block of stone and the continuation of the stonemasons’ craft.

A commissioned essay on Folds written by Rosy Head is available online and at SPACE.