Andrew Lewis: Systems
dal 17/4/2002 al 17/5/2002
Segnalato da
17/4/2002
Andrew Lewis: Systems
Iniva - Institute of International Visual Arts, London
Lewis's fantasy buildings combine a sense of the absurd with the consummate skills of the model-maker. Whilst engaging with beauty and humour in equal measure, Lewis refers to a panoply of twentieth century architecture, from late English Victoriana to the Watts Tower in L.A. This combination of activities and attitudes defines Lewis's practice, but also results in an examination of prevailing urban issues - around space, housing and transport.
Andrew Lewis makes architectural constructions and drawings that allude to an ideal futuristic metropolis.
Lewis's fantasy buildings combine a sense of the absurd with the consummate
skills of the model-maker. Whilst engaging with beauty and humour in equal
measure, Lewis refers to a panoply of twentieth century architecture, from late
English Victoriana to the Watts Tower in L.A. This combination of activities and
attitudes defines Lewis's practice, but also results in an examination of prevailing
urban issues - around space, housing and transport.
In the early 1990s Lewis trained as an architect, but more recently has been
showing work in gallery spaces. Lewis's models have a valuable relationship with
architectural practice: they depend on it for reference, yet they exist outside its
norms. The 'models' Lewis makes are not really models, since they will never be
publicly realized. They exist in the art space in their own right, in order to bring
together the realms of design, architecture, illustration and sculpture.
inIVA is commissioning Lewis to make new work for its project space,
TheSpace@inIVA. Lewis continues to use materials such as cardboard in his
work, but at inIVA he experiments with what for him are 'new media' - simple
materials such as clay or ceramics.
Andrew Lewis lives and works in Croydon. He attended North London University
and the Mackintosh School of Architecture, Glasgow. Previous solo exhibitions
include Ark Royal with Cheese, Laurent Delaye Gallery, London, and The Spatial
Awareness Show, fig-1, London.
Andrew Lewis: Systems is part of inIVA's 2002 Jubilee Season, a national
programme of exhibitions, projects and debates. Jubilee explores the
re-emergence of political engagement within contemporary visual art and raises
questions of internationalism, in a British context.
Image: Andrew Lewis, Ark Royale - Double Cheese, 2001. Courtesy Laurent Delaye Gallery
inIVA, 6-8 Standard Place Rivington Street London EC2A 3BE
space open: Wed - Fri 12noon - 6pm