The Future Tense has released a stop-motion video production of artist Lee Baker installing his latest work, ‘Refractive Monolith’. Documenting the entire process over the course of 6 days.(see above)
Commissioned by The Future Tense for its SPECTRA I exhibition which runs until Sunday 18th December 2011.
‘Refractive Monolith’ is a three dimensional reaction to, or conversation with, Lee Baker’s recent paintings, which combine vivid colour palettes and extreme perspectives to depict fantastical meta-cities set against the looming darkness.
Utilising approximately 10 thousand metres of acrylic yarn, Baker has occupied the space with this imposing architectural monolith, forcing its false perspective upon the viewer.
Drawing on the narrative and scenic elements of Japanese films such as Osamu Tezuka’s ‘Metropolis’, Katsuhiro Otomo’s ‘Akira’ and further exploring the idea of a self-aware ‘thinking city’ developed in films such as ‘Tekkonkinkreet’ and Makoto Shinkai’s ‘A Place Promised in our Early Years’, Lee Baker’s art practice explores the dichotomy between Japan’s fragile, intricate cultural aesthetic and the relentless forces of urbanisation that increasingly mark its landscape.
Hosted at the Londonewcastle Project Space, 28 Redchurch Street, London E2 7DP and curated by The Future Tense, SPECTRA I will be on view until 6pm on December 18 2011, and features a wide range of mediums including painting, sculpture, installation, drawing, animation and digital art from a vital international roster of 7 artists, including Katrin Fridriks, Jen Stark, Adam Ball, Haroshi, Chuck Elliott and James Marshall.