An exhibition of new works by Tom Sachs, never previously seen in the UK
Opening 3 June in London
Thaddaeus Ropac is pleased to present Ritual, an exhibition of new works by Tom Sachs, never previously seen in the UK, including four new sculptures conceived for the exhibition in order to demonstrate the comprehensive spectrum of Sachs’ distinctive sculptural practice.
Displayed on bespoke pedestals inspired by modernist shapes, each sculpture is characterised by the same bricolage aesthetic that has gained Sachs a unique position in the field of contemporary sculpture. Influenced by the subcultures of the urban metropolis, specifically the phenomenon of corner shops and their reflection of the diverse civic and cultural demands of modern city living, the artist replicates commonplace industrial objects using everyday materials including plywood, cardboard, resin, tape and paint. The sculptures bear traces of their making, becoming vehicles for reflection on the creation of value and human labour.
As I create, I meditate, and the lust of acquiring a product is replaced by the love of making it.
— Tom Sachs, 2021
While the sculptures on view have a direct relationship with urban and consumer culture, their formal qualities and plinths on which they are exhibited define each work within a more complex art historical narrative. Placed on its Brancusian pedestal, the lowly laundry basket is elevated to the position of high art. Whether a leaf blower or a surveillance camera, quotidian objects are presented to invite deeper reflection on the tenuous relationship between the public and the private; the intersection of innovation and human industry with the intimacy of domestic life. Everything has form, but the objects are selected and displayed so that the conversation between their shapes and their pedestals engages the viewer in the tradition of modernist sculpture.
With Ritual, Sachs reflects on consumerism while dealing with the history of urban living and the unique subcultures specific to the city. Sachs’ artistic drive is powered by what he calls ‘guilty consumerism’; for him, the making of an object is a way of connecting with it, building intimacy. “As I create, I meditate on it and the lust of acquiring a product is replaced by the love of making it.”