INTERFACE

REVIEW

Jochen Holz: Laboratory

Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea 22 January – 28 March

Reviewed by: Emile Verheule »

Holz's glass sculptures are made with the use of lampworking, a glassblowing technique invented for the production of laboratory equipment. Peristaltic, the largest exhibit, comprises four bulbous, organic tubular forms resembling a huge perineum. Sections appear at various levels on a wall panel with pieces draping over the top and snaking around one side. Disturbing in its physical connotations, the fleshy emulsion applied on the inside surface adds to the visual discomfort. At the same time it is the most fascinating piece of the exhibition.

By contrast, Who Sat on my Chair? is subtle and witty. A glass chair poised at an angle has been surface-treated with silver nitrate to make it reflective. The mercurial quality of the object presents an interesting play of material fluidity and solidity. The highly reflective surface is intriguing as light plays with, and distorts, images and colour from its surroundings. The appearance of a metal finish gives the chair a strength uncharacteristic of the actual material used by the artist. The two remaining pieces are less thought provoking, although equally subtle.

Holz sacrifices the natural transparency and delicacy of blown glass whilst fully exploiting the fluidity of the material. All pieces possess a minimalist structural and decorative quality and emphasise technical mastery and artistic candour. Holz's art works lack a comprehensive statement, but rather are experiments with form that resemble a scientific approach. As such, the cautiously observed objectivity of Holz's work make 'Laboratory' just as much an exploration of art through science as vice versa.

Venue detail:
Glynn Vivian Art Gallery »
Alexandra Road, Swansea SA1 5DZ

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