life's no picnic....

It’s only to be expected that the things that catch my eye just now are tinged with melancholy and otherness.

Case in point the work of wonderful New York-based sculptor Hugh Hayden. A picnic table that you can’t actually sit on. Sad. This sculpture created out of fallen Manhattan trees was captivating viewers earlier this month at The Frieze Fair.

Now if you are lucky enough to be in New York before June the 2nd you can visit his debut solo show at White Columns, 91 Horatio Street, New Yorkt

“Brier Patch” is composed of 6 school desks that appear inseparably interwoven by their own outgrowths. Hugh notes his intention to create “visible, unifying space that is at once protective and impenetrable”. His work is absolutely a mix of oppositions: drawing you near while blocking you out, recalling the joy of youth and fear of the present/future, nature vs man, life vs death – all open to diverse personal interpretations.

The second work “Hangers” is a carving of a human skeleton, slightly larger than life, that hangs from a clothing rack on wheels. Maybe this one is too literal for me., I just find it disturbing as opposed to intriguing and moving..

Queen Marie