this, that and the other: Jacqueline Poncelet - Richard Saltoun - Review

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

I return to writing after a considerable hiatus with a small spree of contemporary arts exhibition reviews. The subjects of the following reviews were encountered in Mayfair on Friday 2nd May. I am in London for a social occasion and, arriving early at Victoria Station, decide to beat the swealtering heat by ducking into a few exhibitions.

Up first, ‘this, that and the other: Jacqueline Poncelet’ at Richard Saltoun. Shown between March 11 – May 3 – myself arriving on the penultimate day – this exhibition showcases an retrospective of Poncelet’s varied and impressive career. Poncelet’s work ranges from ceramics to watercolours, each of her works possessing innate character, rhythm and motion.





I chose this exhbition as my starting point on the strength of the poster. On it, an image of her ceramic work ‘untitled no. 5’. Within the gallery space, two key sculptures were hidden in shaded alcoves. This bestowed them with an anthropomorphic presence, as if they were creatures skulking in the corners. They immediately evoke the work of Sean Tan, specifically the creatures of The Lost Thing. Their textured surface showcased beautiful patterns.

Other ceramic works lay on the floor. Not on a podium but on the wooden planks themselves, which bore the scuff and scratch marks of repeated use. Small pieces of dowel mark out the boundary around the sculpture. Each of her earthenwork pieces seems to be made of cardboard, or even stuffed fabric. The control of material is impressive.

The space is calmly lit. It is made up of three distinct rooms. Beyond the third room we are granted a glimpse of wrapped work from previous – or perhaps upcoming – exhibitions. Gallery staff move within the space. It feels like a very active environment, but I am not made to feel unwelcome, even in my admittedly-touristy outfit.

Alongside her sculpture, a handful of works hang on the wall. They are made of multiple mediums, sometimes all at once. ‘untitled no. 10’, for instance, combines photography, oil painting, and fabric weaving. Displayed in the final room are these gorgeous large works on paper. Giant textured things evoking human form. Fingers grapsing or pinching. Sketch lines remain of these vast curves, giving it a sense of life, or perhaps creation. The forms are very baletic. They are the successful version of what I am attempting to achieve in one of my own visual art projects. Their abstraction and textures are beautiful. To my eye it appears Poncelet has used a technique akin to brass rubbing, giving a subtle three-dimensionality to certain sections.

Other works are very controlled, very precise. ‘Passing 02’ appears like shadows, or ripples. It seems bizarrely natural despite the obviously constructed nature of the patterns.  

On display in the final room is ‘object in four parts’. It is presented as a unitary object and appears to be fabric, despite in actuality being embossed clay. The interlinking forms are quite extraordinary.

Returning to the entrance, the gallery has provided handouts both about Poncelet and a map of the gallery. Next to these, a visitor book. Much of the messages are addressed to ‘Jacqui’ herself. I, too, despite never having met her, address my message to her likewise.


Poncelet, part of the New British Sculpture movement, appears to have been historically overshadowed by her male counterparts. I am glad to have seen this retrospective of her work. Gallery text notes a ‘architectural, constructivist sensibility’, which I have to agree with. However, the text also reads her more recent work as a ‘shifting visual language that evokes horizons, changing light, and atmospheric transformation’. While I understand this reading, I, instead, see a very bodily presence, a sort of incarnate materiality, a limblike movement in her works on display.

This exhibition serves as a brilliant introduction to a visually compelling artist and a display of mastery over multiple mediums. Forgoing interpretation, the gallery allows the artworks space to breath and speak for themselves, potentially alienating a visitor looking to understand Poncelet’s work deeper, but providing space for a personalised reflection on her brilliant career.



‘this, that and the other: Jacqueline Poncelet’ was on display at Richard Saltoun between March 11 – May 3, and was free to enter

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Whitworth - Women in Revolt! - Review

Image
After touring London and Edinburgh since 2023, Women in Revolt! – curated by Lindsey Young - arrives in Manchester at the Whitworth. This is the first time the exhibition has been free of charge.     Originally I had planned to visit Women in Revolt! with a friend, but the plans fell through, so here I am, camera in hand, back in the Whitworth. Living so close to the venue, I walk through Whitworth Park – it is a beautiful day – and take the back entrance into the gallery. I only mention this because one of the first things I encounter is a slice of text informing me that this is room 5 of 7, and that I should instead start from the entrance in the Special Collection’s Gallery. So, rather than interrupt the pre-determined flow, I track round and begin the exhibition again. By indicating a correct path, the gallery signals that this is – counter to my expectations – a social history exhibition through the lens of artists and their artworks. And this is indeed the case....
Read more

People's History Museum - Gallery One - Review

Image
It is snowing. I spend the morning baking a loaf of bread. Leaving it to cool I decide to spend the day visiting some Manchester museums I have not yet visited. The walk over is cold, the closer I get to the city centre, the less snow there is on the ground until, walking through Spinningfields, there is little more than a trace of slush. Image via People's History Museum Weather notwithstanding, the first port of call is the People’s History Museum. I am writing this from their café. The entrance hall is oddly municipal, and the flat grey light from outside makes the space feel rather sparse. There were, however, plenty of people within the museum itself. I plan to split this review into two posts. The entire museum is split into three gallery spaces – the third of which being a collaborative make space. Leaving two galleries to explore. This post considers the first. The floors are split chronologically, Gallery One focussing on pre-1945. Now, the People’s History Museum expl...
Read more

People's History Museum - Gallery Two - Review

Image
Last week we explored the first floor of the People’s History Museum in Manchester. This week, the second floor. It is still cold outside, and I am still writing from the Museum’s café. My coffee has grown cold, and I am wondering if I am going to make it to my second potential visit, or whether I best call it quits and head back home. It is supposed to snow again tonight, and I’m quite tempted by the loaf of bread, freshly baked this morning, waiting for me back home – that is, unless my housemates have already devoured it. Who’s to say.    Image via Manchester Evening News  However, for now, I am still in the People’s History Museum. After being thoroughly impressed by their first gallery, I now turn to their second. Walking further up the stairs – which look out on a rather glum, albeit contemplative, view of the River Irwell – the  entranceway is much the same. The same explanation of colour is printed here, again alongside a list of th...
Read more