By the time you read this, this portion of Into the Wyld is over, replaced by the exhibition’s final instalment (Spirituality) from 7th November. It’s a shame in a way, and a joy in another, because Material Matters has utterly redefined the Williamson over the last few months, presenting a clear case for the gallery as a contemporary art space.
Spirituality is the third and final part of this exhibition series, meaning that in the space of four months, this collective has hosted three of the Williamson’s best contemporary shows in recent years.
Chivalry, coming to its end soon is, so far, the more relatable piece of the series. It presents as a singular performance, with many moving parts, whose relationships aren’t always clear. Because of the fog between each work, they stand along, held together by multiple streams of audio from either end of the galleries.
And while some work, like Patric Roger’s swords, remain in place from Part 1: Nature, the tone of the exhibition’s inspiration comes from the work of its curator. John Elcock’s egg tempera paintings on board hark back to a part of his practice I’ve not seen for some time; iconography.
Because who is Gawain, the subject of the poem that inspired Into the Wyld, if not a man who desired that icon status? His royal blood influencing every step he took. Chivalry is the piece of the exhibition where we get to know the conflict in him. Nature set the scene, and Spirituality… we’ll find out.
Where does chivalry fit in the tale of Gawain? And what is really meant by chivalry here? Traditional heraldic chivalry holds little place in 2024, but the functions and meanings of chivalry are still valued. Rather than directly addressing that, the exhibition uses chivalry to present quite a conflicted personality.
Room III is the most directly related to the poem, creating the bedroom of Castle Hautdesert, and imagining the relationship between the space and its use. Chivalry is explored through ceremony here, and there’s a lightness to Soft Combat, a performance by Craig Sinclair and Piotr Marchewka, that takes traditional approaches to chivalry and combat and presents them as absurd.
The relationship of that film, and the vessels made by Ryan Gauge in Room II play well together. Probably because they both look at the theme from modern perspectives, rather than trying to engage too literally with traditions of conduct.
Angelo Madonna’s performative film, Bod_j_ect, is equally playful with symbolism; how weight, and the interaction with an object over time affects our love towards it. It is unclear in the film, whether the object directly represents an individual or an analogous human presence, so you’re more drawn to its relationship to chivalry, and in a cynical way (perhaps thanks to modern perceptions of the word chivalry, rather than the action of it) what the motives are of the action.
Chivalry is clear in this theme, but free enough to let you be cynical. It’s a useful way to reflect on one of the more challenging themes of the poem.
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Into The Wyld, Part III: Spirituality open at Williamson Art Gallery 7th November – 21st December 2024
Words, Patrick Kirk-Smith