I always enjoy making the journey to Hauser + Wirth, Saville Row and peering in at tailor's workshops below street level.
Mike Kelley takes up two rooms at the gallery at the moment with 'Framed and Frame', aiming to explore the place between reality and the imagined.
Detail from Chinatown Wishing Well
Mike Kelley, 1999
Interested in Middle America's 'diverse and alternative subcultures', Kelley presents two installations that look at Los Angeles' marginalised Chinese-American community. Honestly, it's pretty weird. The grotto-like piece (above) consists of spray painted concrete with religious paraphernalia stuck and frozen on to its facade. It has a small cave underneath it, where a tatty looking mattress is hidden - it all feels a bit dark.
Detail from Chinatown Wishing Well
In some ways I was surprised it left me feeling a bit cold - aesthetically it ticks lots of boxes: the candy coloured spritz' of colour, the gaudy religious trophies - both things I really like. It reminded me of the drug fuelled hippie days described by Eileen Myles in her autobiography 'Chelsea Girls' which I've just finished. (NB: not for the faint hearted).
It also sort of reminded me (in a good way) of Koons piece, 'Play Doh' which you can catch at Newport Street Gallery now.
Play Doh
Jeff Koons, 1999 - 2014
3 Americans working at the same time, there's probably something in that (insert emoticon with rolling eyes here).
