_{Image ©  Dylan Shipton & Ben Fitton 2012}

Not a misplaced Rembrandt

The history still to be made shows itself is a new temporary outdoor installation by Dylan Shipton and Ben Fitton. It is visible 24/7 at The SPACE on Kings Road, St Leonards on Sea, adjacent to the forecourt of Warrior Square Station and is reviewed by Joe Fearn.

A small child coming across a cemetery for the first time, on being told its purpose could be forgiven for thinking that earth, planted with people, sprouts monuments. Reflecting on the artwork currently exhibited at The Space, at the bottom of Kings Road in St. Leonards, I wondered what would be produced by injecting the earth with words.

This temporary structure consists of a partially submerged sign that runs across almost the entire width of The SPACE. The sign’s text suggests some kind of salvation, often associated with political, religious or self-help slogans. It begins “Hasten the hour of DELIVERY from the HELL of EXISTING CONDITIONS by…” but the action to be taken remains obscured. The theatrical presentation juxtaposed with its large scale photo-luminescent framework suggests transition, but it is unclear whether the sign (and its implied action) is in the process of being revealed, held in stasis or lowered out of sight beneath the earth of the former Royal Mail Sorting Office. The text could be the tip of an iceberg, and who knows what excavation may reveal; a novel perhaps, a poem, prose fiction, or simply instructions.

At first I thought it playful, the text is read more easily by walking around the artwork, a nice ploy perhaps, to invite the curious. I then entertained an idea of a more serious interpretation; that of spilt language, even language deliberately being poured away. I read recently that schools are introducing computers at such an early stage of a child’s development that the ability to write has been compromised. Perhaps it reflects on a reduction; I recently saw quotes from the Christian Bible displayed on a community centre wall written as though they were text on a mobile phone. London based artists Dylan Shipton and Ben Fitton have invited us to ‘pick up the ball and run with it’ but not, of course, over the cliff, with a danger of the critic ending up in Pseud’s corner.

Thankfully there were other opinions to be had. Two traffic wardens, one male and one female, said they felt uneasy about art being put in a space that once employed local people, and then they asked if art produced anything (28% of The U.K. GNP last time I checked). A man photographed the giant artwork and he was full of praise for it to me and the curator Christine Gist, who had kindly opened up the gates at the entrance. A teenager pronounced it “Cool” as he texted his friends. A man walking a puppy commented “It’s not a Rembrandt”. But then, a Rembrandt in The Space would be a misplaced Rembrandt; this project is part of Hastings Borough Council’s ‘Art in New Spaces’ programme which aims to reanimate redundant sites, to contribute to arts and cultural activities in Hastings and St Leonards and to present innovative new work which engages with local communities. Shipton and Fitton previously collaborated on The Overbearing Mother, an extraordinary temporary sculpture which enveloped the shipping container housing ‘Seaside Film Trailer’ during Coastal Currents 2011.

About the Artists
Since receiving his MA Fine Art from Chelsea School of Art in 2001, Dylan Shipton has exhibited in the UK, Switzerland and the USA.
Ben Fitton exhibits nationally and has also participated in group exhibitions in New York, Canada and Australia. He is currently undertaking a Doctoral Research Studentship at Loughborough University.
Info: +44 (0) 788 144 1120    c.gist@btinternet.com

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