Now that THE SPACE BETWEEN have posted excellent documentation of the exhibition I visited a couple of months ago, I can post a blog of my experience of it, along with that of a friend of mine. The exhibition was at the very apt, St Pancras Church Crypt, London. See original post here.

Kate Street ‘Bird in the hand’ 2009

My friend, made some interesting observations of THE SPACE BETWEEN exhibit (more interesting than mine) and many of them were related to the space, unexpected and at times unnerving and uneven under foot, it only went to enhance the viewing of the work in most cases, leaving the rest as peculiar scattered objects. Perhaps that worked too, except that I came away convinced that I had missed something in the musty darkness. I bugged my friend afterward ‘Do you think we saw everything?’ Because the photographs I have included here really don’t do the environment justice~IT WAS DARK, and we were given torches (which I couldn’t work-but that’s another story)

Guest Blogger-MD
Having never been interested in art or attending any exhibition of sorts, this was an entirely new experience for me. The idea of artwork being viewed in a crypt initially seemed quite disturbing, however the ambiance of the building itself and just the knowledge of knowing where I actually was added a whole new dimension to the viewing experience. In a space where the worlds of the living and dead entwine, it physically immerses the viewer into a space between.
The pieces exhibited were both powerful and thought provoking, in particular “Sluice” by Kate McCgwire. Pigeons are often perceived as a bane of society, by using their feathers to create this “effluent–like” flood it added to the repulsion and unease of my viewing experience. However at the same time I felt myself marveling at the beauty and wonder of the display of this familiar material. It is clear a lot of dedication had gone into creating this piece and I feel the artist accomplished exposing me, as a viewer, to the macabre truth that lurks behind that of the familiar. (M. Disley)

Sluice 2009, Site-specific installation

Marilene Oliver ‘Family portrait’ 2003

I immediately connected to the body images with in this exhibit-no great surprise there, but pleasing for me as I was so eager to see the pigeon feather instillation and sculpture I thought the rest may pale a touch.
In fact the over all feel of the exhibit was much as it claimed to be, a space for what might be, a place of transition observed and possibly disturbed by the viewer. I certainly felt a sadness for some of the works, stuck in a state of flux, surely a nightmarish situation and one that, today, I can relate to.

Kate McCgwire ‘Rile’ 2009

Thanks to Megan.