Vast, Intimate and Empty
Polly Apfelbaum is Waiting for the UFO's at the IKON
by Hamilton High,
first published: September, 2018
first published: September, 2018
Polly's earlier floor-bound installations incorporated hundreds of pieces of velvet, hand-dyed in bold hues and often arranged in sprawling configurations that appeared to be organically inspired or like abstract paintings that melted off the wall...
Polly Apfelbaum
Waiting for the UFO's (a space set between a landscape and a bunch of flowers)
IKON Gallery, Birmingham
19 September — 18 November 2018
Birmingham's IKON is a beautiful building to begin with, with exhibitions over several floors, I always like to pop over there when I am in the city. The IKON's shows are invariably excellently entertaining and Waiting For The UFO's, New York City's Polly Apfelbaum's collection of ceramics, textiles and drawings promises to be one of the great ones. There's certainly a lot of excitement around and about, about her work.
Polly's work draws on and gathers in the vast and empty spaces of United States of America and shoehorns that into the intimate environs of the IKON! Phew. Oh! Wow! It's a close encounter of the Polly Apelbaum kind. Ho-Ho-Ho. Like Santa would say, it's her gift to you.
The opening on September 19th, features a short musical set from acclaimed UK singer/songwriter, Graham Parker, from whose song Waiting From The UFO's, (from his superlative-ennervating late 70s album Squeezing Out Sparks), the show takes half of its name. The remainder comes from surrealist René Magritte’s definition of a garden as “a space set between a landscape and a bunch of flowers”. The idea of appropriation is explored through Apfelbaum’s use of allusion and quotation, blurring the lines drawn between popular culture, or craft, and high art.
I remember the Magritte retrospective at LACMA. Good one, right? I got there so late on the final day they were literally pulling up the fluffy cloud carpet behind me and it was so massive, so exhausting. That's another thing I like about IKON. Unharried. Unhurried. I'm so happy you're here.
Essential Info
Polly Apfelbaum website
Polly's London Gallery website
IKON Gallery
Polly Apfelbaum
Waiting for the UFO's (a space set between a landscape and a bunch of flowers)
IKON Gallery, Birmingham
19 September — 18 November 2018
IKON hours, Tues - Sun, 11-5
Hamilton High
Hamilton High was born on Doheny Ave in the gutter, is a poet, writer and observer of popular culture. Likes fashion and cares less for style. He's on the move, he's an alter ego and we hardly ever hear from him.
about Hamilton High »»
FREE TICKETS for OUTSIDELEFT's QUIET NIGHT OUT
featuring RM FRANCIS, KERRY HADLEY-PRYCE, JAY LEWIS, WAYNE DEAN-RICHARDS and WOODENHAND»»
Polly's earlier floor-bound installations incorporated hundreds of pieces of velvet, hand-dyed in bold hues and often arranged in sprawling configurations that appeared to be organically inspired or like abstract paintings that melted off the wall...
the weekly guide to new releases
10 clickable things
☉ Denim ☉
Why a portrait artist from Ireland started making comics about U.S. police brutality ☉
Warner Bros Prop Archive ☉
Hollyweed Sign ☉
What can elephants, birds, and flamenco players teach a neuroscientist-composer about music? ☉
BOYCOTT University Challenge ☉
Bruce's Beach. Reparations really, or what? (NYT) ☉
Drag Shows are banned ☉
QPR: Promotion push to relegation fight, 474,000 a week losses and a rescue mission ☉
How to talk like a Chelsea coach ☉
RECENT STORIES
Adventures in the archives
RANDOM READS
What Readers are Reading Right Now
- Lost In Room
Outsideleft talks to original punk pioneer Mark Perry about the upcoming book on the early years of Alternative TV, hardback homicide, the curse of nostalgia, and Crass cufflinks. - Hitting the G Spot
Alan Rider talks counter culture, interconnected circles and her love for Goth with Season of The Witch author Cathi Unsworth - Outsideleft Week in Music: The Inner Space Sounds from Way Out!
We're hearing from... Inner Space Quartet, Kid brunswick, Erland Cooper, Suicide, Josienne Clarke, 3l3d3p, Seerr, Creep Show, Hannah Peel, Foo Fighters, Tanlines, The Holy Family, Little Dragon, Eduard Artemiev, Oleg Buloshkin, Edison Denisov, Sofia Gubaidulina, Alfred Schnittke, Squid, ABC, NOIR, Joe Perry & Henge - What Just Happened... in May
These are the big stories you guys read in May - Week in Los Angeles City of Death Music
We're hearing from... Swans, Def Leppard, Apache Rose, Jaz Coleman and Anne Dudley, TEKE::TEKE , African Head Charge, Mike Oldfield, Brian Krumm, Alibhe McDonagh with the RTE Concert Orchestra, Belle Scar, Pale Jay, Tinariwen, Tommy Drinkard, RVG, Teardrop Explodes, High Pulp, The Fierce and The Dead, Magnetic Skies, Ebi Soda, Ash Walker - Cease and Resist
Alan Rider talks to Chris Low of the Apostles about Crass, becoming an anarchist punk at 11, and breaking down musical barriers - Many Happy Returns
ABC revisit their audacious pop masterpiece. - A Road Without End
Vashti Bunyan talks to Jay Lewis about her moving memoir 'Wayward' - Track by Track: Dakota Jones' Heartbreakers Space Club
Brooklyn's Brightest Lights in Outer Space - Fight To The Bell
The Sunday Morning Poet: R.M. Francis
All About and Contributors
HELP OUTSIDELEFT
Outsideleft exists on a precarious no budget budget. We are interested in hearing from deep and deeper pocket types willing to underwrite our cultural vulture activity. We're not so interested in plastering your product all over our stories, but something more subtle and dignified for all parties concerned. Contact us and let's talk. [HELP OUTSIDELEFT]
WRITE FOR OUTSIDELEFT
If Outsideleft had arms they would always be wide open and welcoming to new writers and new ideas. If you've got something to say, something a small dank corner of the world needs to know about, a poem to publish, a book review, a short story, if you love music or the arts or anything else, write something about it and send it along. Of course we don't have anything as conformist as a budget here. But we'd love to see what you can do. Write for Outsideleft, do. [SUBMISSIONS FORM HERE]
WRITERS thru' the Years
Agata Makiela, Alan Devey, Alan Rider, Alex V. Cook, Ancient Champion, Andy Allison, Annemiek, Belle Plankton, Bruce Bailey, Caiomhin Millar, Chantal, Cheiron Coelho, Chris Connolly, Christian Present, Damon Hayhurst, Dan Breen, David Hackney, Denni Boyd, Dirty Lillie, DJ Fuzzyfelt, Dr. Rich, Dr. Richard Bennett, Duncan Jones, Erin, Erin Pipes, Erin Scott, Gracey Babs, Graham Baker, Guilaine Arts, H.xx, Hamilton High, Henderson Downing, Holly Martins, J. Charreaux, Jay Lewis, Jaycentee, Jennifer Lynn, Jenny McCann, Jeremy Gluck, Jez Collins, Joe Ambrose, John Robinson, Julie O, Karl Morgan, Katherine Pargeter, Kelsey Osgood, Kevin McHugh, Lake, Lee Paul, Luke Skinner, Malcolm, Marek Pytel, Mark Piggott, Meave Haughey, Michelle Williams, Mike Fox, mindy strouse, Neil Campbell, Neil Scott, Ogglypoogly, OL House Writer, Pam, Paul Hawkins, Paul Quigley, Peter Williams, Pixie McMowat, Pixievic, Rene Williams, Rick Casson, Ronan Crinion, Ruby Lake, Ryan 'RJO' Stewart, Samantha Charles, Seth Sherwood, Shane O'Reilly, Sheridan Coyle, Sofia Ribeiro Willcox, Sophia Satchell-Baeza, Spanish Pantalones, Speedie John, Spencer Kansa, Steve McCarthy, The Conversation, Tim London, Tim Sparks, Toon Traveller, Wayne Dean-Richards, and founders, Alarcon & LamontpaulWEEK IN MUSIC
OUTSIDELEFT UNIVERSE
outsideleft content is not for everyone