Monday 23rd April

Day 4

Packing and Mourning
commissioned by The Mutual as part of The Mutual Charter
St Judes Hotel, 190 Bath Street

This exhibition features work by 4 individuals who are familiar with departing from their home and relocating. This disturbance inevitably creates unease, separation and alienation.

The project began in the form of a blog whereby the 4 individuals comment on their displacement, separation and absence from Glasgow.

These thoughts are then manifest in the form of an exhibition, each individual responding in their own way, but ultimately being linked by the general theme.

It seems wholly appropriate that the exhibition takes place in a hotel. Packing to go on holiday is entirely different to packing when moving more permanently, but being in a hotel is an unfamiliar place distant from home.

When I first entered the space I did not realise that the square column in the middle of the room was not a permanent feature. On closer inspection I discovered that the column was constructed from sheets of paper that had been drawn on. The paper was covered in articulate line drawings of objects that the artist is unable to transport with her when she moves. Objects with awkward shapes that do not fit any cases, large items, heavy items and living items.

Penny Anderson uses the bag itself as an object on which to work. Penny collects words that other people say, and a selection of these are embroidered onto the handmade bag. What may be said as a throwaway comment by one, becomes ingrained in another, and fixed onto an object that travels with them wherever.

Three word review: Venue well chosen