Indirect Course, Leah Gerrard and Sean Pearson, extended through May 2, 2020
Leah Gerrard’s new exhibition Indirect Course is a study of line and space. Line circumscribes a given space in this collection of sculpture. In this case, the line is wire. By twisting, wrapping, tying and weaving, Gerrard creates ambiguous forms that delineate space in unique ways. The intricate metal forms allow our eye travel around and through the form. Exterior and interior vie for our attention.
Metallic texture and a dizzying repetition of technique draw our eyes to the outer form while an enclosed rock or object often emphasizes the interior space. Formal issues may be part of the equation here, but function and utility seem possible and our imagination quickly follows. Gerrard’s sculpture has a mysterious familiarity. The organic/industrial hybrids in this collection suggest functional hardware from another culture, century or planet. Swooping coils of overlapping tunnels, stretched and sagging nets, coiled loops and springy metallic coils bring to mind purposeful objects built following nature’s instruction manual. Titles hint at interpretations but Gerrard’s subtle intention allows us the pleasure of both formal and imaginative perspectives.
Sharing the gallery space is guest artist Sean Pearson, whose spare and somewhat baffling pen and ink drawings pair nicely with Gerrard’s work. With a broken and nervous line, his characters quiver into a life that seems oddly familiar.
