Behind the Scenes at YSP: A Colourful Double Take at the Weston
This autumn, I’m thrilled to be working on Double Take, a colourful exhibition of 20 new and recent sculptures by artist Olivia Bax. The Weston Gallery will be transformed by her work with playful, energetic forms that invite visitors to look twice, move around the sculptures and see the gallery in unexpected ways.
Olivia’s sculptures bring together found objects, metal mesh and brightly coloured paper pulp. Colour is a really important part of her practice and her making process. She uses recycled paint, diverted from landfill, that is added to the dense paper pulp which forms many of her sculptures. Selected from the available colours, the vivid palette exaggerates the playfulness of the work. Sustainability and reusing materials are central to Olivia’s approach. She incorporates discarded objects including musical instruments, wheels, kitchenware and shopping trolleys and transforms them into something new. She also dismantles and reworks her previous sculptures, challenging the idea that sculpture should be permanent. Visitors to The Weston Gallery will encounter a series of newly constructed hinged screens, which Olivia has transformed from practical objects into devices for seeing, framing and connecting. At the centre of the gallery is a striking ramp structure inspired by her own views from the top of a London bus overlooking a BMX park. Alongside two smaller ramps, it acts as plinth whilst also becoming part of the architecture of the gallery. One work that I’m particularly drawn to is Poche, The French word for ‘pocket’, in which a dismantled shopping trolley holds pulp tubes and hybrid found objects in Olivia’s signature vibrant colour. The idea of a pocket as an in-between space, crossing the boundary between our public and private worlds is a lovely way to think about the exhibition. The exhibition gives visitors the opportunity to discover more about Olivia’s distinctive approach to sculpture and her fascination with materials. Double Take has something for everyone – colour, humour, imagination and plenty of surprises.
The Weston is a great place to spend time beyond the exhibition too – ideal for meeting friends for a coffee, take in the panoramic views over a delicious lunch, or browse the YSP gift shop, which showcases work from some of the region’s best artisan makers. I hope you’ll come and enjoy Double Take and perhaps, leave seeing the familiar world a little differently. Olivia Bax, Double Take showing at The Weston Gallery, September 26 – March 14. Entry to The Weston Gallery is free. Admission to YSP starts at £10 and Under 18s go for free. Book tickets at ysp.org.uk.