THEASTER GATES: FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY │ White Cube, London → 5 July 2015

Photo: Sara Pooley via Architectural Record

“Ẇît Kb z plizd t priznt an xibišn v ny wrc bî Ʈiastr Gêts. Gêts’ practis z wîd-renjñ n polisīms, atmtñ t brij ɖ gap btwn āt n lîf n caṭlîz sošl n ic̣nomic čenj ʈru drct ātistc êjnsi. Fr ɖs xibišn, intîtld Frīdm v Asmbli, Gêts xplorz ɖ ʈīm v asmbli in its wîdist sens, inmešñ îdiyz v an ōtoṇms ātobjct wɖ nošnz v indivijl frīdm n ɖ impârmnt v plês. In ptklr, Gêts rfŕz t ɖ Frst Amndmnt v ɖ Ynîtd Stêts Constityšn, ẇč pṛtcts frīdm v spīč, ɖ rît t pīsbli asmbl, n ɖ fri exsîz v rlijn.

Frīdm v Asmbli includz svṛl ny siriz v sculpčrz, a lj-scêl prezntešn v tarpêntñz n a bodi v wrc ɖt fwgrândz, fr ɖ frst tîm, Gêts’ loñ-trm involvmnt wɖ clêpṛduẋn. Nošns v asembli bcm evidnt in wrcs ɖt drw on prsnl memri, poḷtcs, n ɖ histri n reẓnns v mtirı̣l objcts wɖn âr culčr.

Ɖz ʈīmz r snc̣petd in wrcs ɖt trnsfwm mtirı̣lz culd fṛm dsyzd bildñz in ɖ ātist’s ôn nêbrhd in ɖ Sâʈ Sîd v Šcago. A siriz v wŭdn vitrīnz cmbîn verı̣s eḷmnts obtend fṛm a clozd-dân hādwérstor – a cwnrstôn v ɖ cmyṇti ɖt sīst trêdñ in ɖ fês v conglomṛt comṗtišn – alñsd lamps, pots, glas n sculpčṛl objcts. Ɖz culrfl vižl asmblijz atmt t trnzmyt ɖ prezns v a plês n sait nâ dsbandd, ẇl xudñ a sens v los n rduẋn. In Grând Rūlz (2015), Gêts invocs ɖ naṛtv v āt ʈru hiz inteṛgešn v pêntñ, n, in ptklr, ɖ histri v moḍnist abstraẋn. Ɖz wrcs trnsfwm strips v a wŭdn jimflor intu delic̣t, miniml comṗzišnz. Lîc hiz ŕlı̣r Sivl Rîts Taṗstriz ẇč rīprpst old fîrhôz intu pastl-hyd fabricwrcs, ɖz sculpčrz riignît ɖ significns n powtri v fând mtirı̣lz ʈru a prôses v rı̣smbli n rīcomṗzišn.

Prsnl n ṗlitcl ʈīmz r xplord in a ny siriz v lj-scêl tarpêntñz, ẇr rubr n tar z aplîd t wŭdpanlz crietñ moṇcrom, txčṛl comṗzišnz. In ɖz wrcs, Gêts mcs hiz dsižnz bêst on ɖ pṛsījr v rūfñ, nt pêntñ, a prôses ɖ ātist dscrîbz az: borowñ gd rūfñstratjiz, ʈru fwml ingejmnt wɖ it, t arîv at pêntñ or at lst t gt t ɖ esns v rūfñ. Wɖ ɖer ʈic impasto n šîni rflctv srfis, ɖ tar criets a srfis ɖt vizbli rflcts ɖ muvmnt v ɖ hand acrs ɖ canvs, lncñ ɖz wrcs t Jaṗnīz c̣ligṛfi, az wel az t a histri v jesčṛl abstraẋn. In uɖr wrcs, sẋnz v flat rūfñ r dspled lîc šêpt tu-dmnšnl canvsz, cuvrd wɖ delic̣t wŭdn feɖr-lîc tîlz. Cnsivd az an indx v rūfs – rɖr ɖn az indivijl pêntñz – ɖz wrcs sjst a c̣lctv prezns n rlet stroñli t Gêts, huz faɖr tard rūfs fr a trêd.

Gêts frɖrz ɖz îdiyz in a c̣lẋn v clêwrcs ɖt includ a grūp v sml figrz, stacs v sramic brics, n pots ɖt cmbîn cle wɖ tar n uɖr mtirı̣lz fṛm ɖ rūfñ cann. In ɖz ṗetc sculpčrz, Gêts’ histri wɖ cle z marid t hiz histri wɖ lebr t criet an inspîrd ny bodi v wrc.

Alñsd hiz prezntešn at Ẇît Kb Brmnzi, Ʈiastr Gêts wl xibit a ny bodi v wrc in ɖ Arsenāle at ɖ 56^ʈ Venis Bienāle fṛm 9 Me – 22 Nvmbr 2015.”