"It's real and then it's fake...Take care"

I saw these sculptures by Kristy Hughes at Good Children months ago, took a bunch of photographs and had a bunch of thoughts, but the current was swift early in the year. I never shared them or moved any of those thoughts into words. Things move past or we move past sooner than we expect. But I have thought about them several times over the last few months.

“Sometimes you have to transmute things to hang on to them.”

This is what Kyle McLean said in our talk last week at Sibyl, and this may be the only artist statement anyone ever needs. I also appreciated the following statement, which came in the form of a text message when Kyle and I were discussing his creative practice, day jobs, and art: “I do not want a website or to send emails…I want to help more people…” We agree that art objects are not really the point.

The three pieces by Kristy Hughes are titled Taking Care (Orange), Taking Care (Blue) and Taking Care (Green).

I like entering a gallery, immediately forgetting I am Looking At Art. But in this case, I felt I was looking at art (about Art) and I liked it. These sculptures are diminutive, or they appear diminutive with the history of non-representational sculpture behind them. And they are wall-pieces which is a strange presentation for forms that seem as if they would invite circumnavigating. Walls are for art. This is another idea that haunts the whole enterprise. These little contradictions pleased me.

Add to that the fact, that the platforms – the shelving – is part of the sculpture, in some cases a quite elaborate extension of the sculpture.

A large, floor-situated sculpture engage the whole body. These engage the eyes but in a way that is infused with body-awareness. The folds and surface of the forms invite exploration and reminded me of those toys that took the time to be explorable. I can think of two examples: The Fisher-Price castle my siblings and I had as children (which I bought off eBay for my own children) and Bug World which I have hung on to all these years.

The titles of the sculptures also speak to me. They are not too much or two little and contain an open-ended idea that I think about all the time: We are here to take care of each other. This morning I was considering the phrase “Take Care” and its inverse, “Care Take.” Take Care can mean “accept care” or “fuck-off but in a nice way” Or a cold way, depending. The care is incoming. Care take, means give care.

Give Care. Take Care,

We'll come across a snake
It is real and then it's fake
Feel its heartbeat…