Trusttum on ‘Totems’

Press, 19 April 1980, Page 12

Trusttum on ‘Totems’

Totems, an exhibition by Philip Trusttum at the Brooke/Gifford Gallery, until May 2. Reviewed by David Brokenshire. This exhibition comprises a series of “throw aways” — cartons, wrappers, carefully unfolded then coloured, cut, rearranged, and meticulously mounted on particle board! behind glass. If these are seen as of our tribe this show is a bitter comment on our civ< ilisation, our time, pur* selves. One wall is called “Well run over; objects on given streets.”'These pieces collected by the artist while out cycling are spaced and fixed in rows on the gal-; lery wall.

Numerous squashed beer cans, . cigarette packets, broken glass, matchboxes, rubber bands, a broken shoe lace. They form a very lively pattern yet is this our badge, our hereditary mark? No. 19, “Windy One.’’ — $l2O. This is an am rangement, an iconoclastic symbol perhaps, cut from “Plum Blossom sandalwood toilet soap” wrapper. You can view it as a wind-torn structure pr an exciting pattern or a stimulating journey across a flat plane. This is an uncompromising and difficult exhibition but it is a serious statement by one of our foremost artists and worthy of considered study.