A
broken mirror, a metallic cobweb, a stretched ski mask hidden in the top corner
of a room, there is certainly a contrast between Jim Hodges new show and any
others that I have seen before. Setup in the London, Camden Arts Centre, there
is a different atmosphere surrounding this exhibition compared to others and
certainly from Breda Beban’s just across the hall. The pieces of work are
neatly positioned around the walls of the room with a few sculptures scattered
on raised blocks across the floor. There are no titles next to the work and no
descriptions of any kind either.
From
my own research; Hodges has always appeared as a saddened individual with his
art really finding focus after the HIV and AIDS decimation of the New York gay
community. Hodges work is focused around flowers, emblems of the transitory and
the traditional tribute to the dead, this is most predominant in works such as A
Diary of Flowers a piece which at its fullest stretch features 565 ink sketches
of flowers on café napkins, made over a period of three years. Hodges also
began creating stitched curtains of silk flowers suspended in open space,
beginning with Every Touch. Slower than this, a large canvas filled by creating
letters cut from photographs. Slower than this is one of Hodges’ numerous text
works composed of a sequence of descriptions of place, time and atmospheric
conditions that builds ambivalently to phrases like ‘it had begun like any
other day’ and ‘It couldn’t be stopped’. The piece stands out from the rest as
it’s poetic feel seems to sum up the overall message that Hodges it trying to
get across; A fake flower will never die; life’s winds will never trouble
something that wasn’t real to begin with.
The
pieces themselves are more quiet then some of Hodges other work certainly if
you were to compare A line to you (a floral chain connecting the ceiling to the
floor) and Oh great terrain (a huge stainless steel wall covered in green
camouflage). There is a sombre tone that follows through all of the pieces,
however even though Hodges designed the layout himself the pieces feel separate
to each other. All the pieces at the exhibition feel like unfinished work, but
this doesn’t mean that they are bad; instead it feels like a reflection of
Hodges melancholy outlook on the world. I see the pieces more as like
individual tombstones as there is no way to grieve for two people in the same
way. In conclusion the exhibition is perhaps less about the viewer interacting
with the pieces and more about Hodges expressing his personal feelings and
grief.
Written by Joe Thornalley
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