‘Effectiveness thwarted’

Press, 10 February 1983, Page 21

‘Effectiveness thwarted’

Robert Jesson, Sculpture at the Robert McDougall Art Gallery, until March 20. Review by John Hurrell. Six highly angular plywood sculptures feature in this exhibition by the Auckland artist, Robert Jesson, at the Robert McDougall Art Gallery. Four works are suspended on the walls and' the other two tower above the viewer on wooden plinths; All are dramatically lit to accentuate the planes of the zig-zagging configurations which dominate these works. Bristling with energy, these vigorous works initially appear to be moulded or carved from metal, or welded from steel sheets. However, a detailed inspection quickly shows them to be assembled from structures of plywood and glue,

with the additional use of string, linen strips, dowelling, and wood. Almost all these sculptures are painted in dark-grey lacquer and covered with a brushed on graphite solution. Other much brighter colours are applied to smaller parts such as jagged star shapes, balls, cubes or pyramids. These gay colours make the works look as if they were designed as plasticware for a toy or puzzle shop, but made by a firm which specialises in agricultural machinery instead. Jessen obviously has great ability in putting forms together inventively so that the different planes play off each other with subtle inflections in angle and shape. The rhythms of his Brancusi-like beams contain repeating diamond or shark-tooth forms

which, when combined with the smaller coloured units, give many of his works a music-like quality. Some sculptures use three or four colours, and at times tend to make the shapes look too busy or cluttered. These colours also distract from nuances in the way planes have been organised, for these qualities would have been more readily apparent if only one colour was used. The visual impact of this exhibition is through the surging vitality of its aggressive shapes, yet it is beset by contradictions and a lack of singlemindedness. The jagged forms and dark colours seem threatening and moody, but their effectiveness is thwarted by the cheerful toy-shop connotations of the smaller parts.

Also, the use of string and dyed-linen strips to tie on pieces seems positively flippant. especially when much of the finishing off is deliberately sloppy, and the assembling calculatingly casual and ill-fitting. In a sense, these sculptures tease, for they are so openly and knowingly ersatz that their metal-like surface qualities are not really fraudulent at all. Unfortunately, any anxiety experienced by the viewer because of the shapes and colours is hampered by the knowledge that they are made of plywood and lack weight. The tensions between the materials used and the forms seen make these w’orks seem rather like large maquettes for steel works, and hence not reaching their full potential, lack authority as finished products.