untitled portrait (as proposition)
Paul Knight’s photographic installation Untitled Portrait (as proposition) at Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces, used the upstairs studio space in an inspired way. By constructing an artificial partition near the entrance, Knight confronted the spectator with an unexpected division, forcing close proximity to the photograph. His large print dominated the artificial wall, leaving the rest of the room empty, except for the stenciled message: ‘a few small words amongst something vast’. These words could be read in an ironic way, since the space was far from expansive. Nevertheless, the message would be easy to overlook, sitting unobtrusively amid a white void.
The photographic print itself depicts a series of barriers—a wooden planter box containing an abundant ivy hedge which stands out vividly against a timber paling fence. The area between the top of the fence and the ceiling appears as a kind of optical illusion leading the eye to the implied space beyond. The space behind the fake wall in the gallery mimics the trajectory of the photograph, only we discover words on the other side rather than a dreary concrete zone we expect to see, effectively confusing the distinction between inside and outside.
At first, the boxed garden seems an innocuous subject, so familiar as to be beneath notice, but intriguing details reveal themselves gradually. The garden appears to be out of place in this indeterminate location, a failed attempt to soften the barren surroundings. The shoots of ivy which have inched their way up the wall behind have been poisoned as a way of restricting its growth. While decorative, the plant is not allowed to overreach its designated location as this would constitute a kind of trespass within a