Copies

You wonder over the years why you are drawn to the particular exhibitions. It’s not that you want to do what they do, but certain traits/questions arise which have an affinity with your own.

I’ve found Cindy Sherman’s output rather repetitive over the years, but I’ve kept half an eye on it. In almost twenty years of looking at her work, I finally came across the ‘real’ Sherman, (a non fictionalised image) but couldn’t trust what I was seeing. So it looks like she’s succeeded to dissolving any notion of truth within photography (well… certainly in relation to her own image). She is effectively a chameleon, a blob constantly in a state of mimesis. The only truth that has remained however is age. In this new work she has forgone makeup and opted for digital manipulation. I wish she had dared to go another step further - making herself timeless, some how trapping herself in the 80’s when she started this work.

Jeff Bridges and Clu his virtual 80's copy

That same day I saw a very different show ‘Peaceable Kingdom’ and attended a talk by the artist at Marlborough Fine art. Cathie Pilkington spoke about her difficult relationship with ‘sculpture’. One particular piece really communicated that struggle; a funny ducky character, continuously making copies of Barbara Hepworth sculptures. It was tragic to see this character making something, so unlike herself. Perhaps Babs is hoping that the repetition will eventually convince her otherwise.

Babs 2010 Cathie Pilkington