Exhibition | Barnaby Barford's Seven Deadly Sins at David Gill Gallery | CFile

Barnaby Barford, as we reported in an earlier post, is well-known for his ceramic figures, tchotchkes from hell which serve as platforms for the UK artist’s political views and dark, satirical sense of humor. His The Seven Deadly Sins exhibition at London’s David Gill Gallery last year used similar themes but turned them back on the viewer through mirrors. The following statement from the gallery further clarifies the troubling and confrontational body of work:

“I think it’s all about love gone wrong,” said Barford, when contemplating the meaning of The ‘Seven Deadly Sins. For centuries, the extremes of human desire or motivation have been articulated by the seven words: Pride, Sloth, Gluttony, Wrath, Lust, Envy and Avarice.

Each of Barford’s seven pieces takes the form of a mirror. Most reflect the viewer in full length, challenging their perception in terms of their form and message. The initial response is to marvel at their beauty and delight at the intricate detail which has gone into the construction of each piece. All of the mirrors feature an arrangement of clusters of filigree flowers and foliage. However, when seen close up, the visual message can be surprising since many of the hand-made ceramic flowers and leaves bear the patina of images loaded with emotional messages.

Barford’s interpretation of the sins is beguiling in the sense that the pieces are beautiful but the emotion which is projected is not. In fact, it can be quite visceral and often brutal in its depiction.

Barford spent a year considering the way society measures and values extreme sensations. “We are all hard-wired to desire power, love, possessions. That’s probably the way all humans have been like,” he said. “It’s not fundamentally bad to desire things but what interests me is the way these ‘sins’ can motivate people. How does the idea of ‘sin’ affect people these days when we live in a largely secular society? What are the consequences?”

In confronting what he sees as uncomfortable truths about contemporary society, Barford decided that the viewers of his work should find themselves not just reflecting on the ideas he has presented to them but also, literally, reflected within the mirror. “You see the piece and you see yourself within it,” he said.

David Gill said of the exhibit: “Barnaby’s talent lies in his ability to fuse the visual and narrative elements in his works. His clever choice of titles for his pieces transforms (them) into the embodiment of ideas which goes far beyond the sculptures themselves.”

Bill Rodgers is a Contributing Editor at CFile.

Above image: Installation view of Barnaby Barford’s The Seven Deadly Sins exhibition at David Gill Gallery. Pictured here are Gluttony, Sloth and Pride.

Barnaby Barford, Avarice at the David Gill Gallery. The porcelain pieces which comprise the flowers depict images of currency, confronting the viewer with their obsession for worldly wealth.

Barnaby Barford, Envy at the David Gill Gallery. Images of rioting and looting throughout the UK in 2011 adorn the flowers on this work.

Barnaby Barford, Lust at the David Gill Gallery. The flowers each bear the image of porn actors and actresses with their eyes closed, suggesting the performers are mechanically going about their day jobs, creating lust for commerce.

Barnaby Barford, Pride at the David Gill Gallery. The mirror takes the shape of a religious icon, reflecting the viewer along with the multitude of golden flowers adorning it.

Barnaby Barford, Sloth at the David Gill Gallery. The sagging, bulbous shape of the mirror is surrounded by plain white flowers. Barford said he chose white for the porcelain pieces because sloth is about not caring, a sin of inertia.

Barnaby Barford, Wrath at the David Gill Gallery. The colors and shape of the piece suggest a bomb blast, applicable to terrorism, Hiroshima, drone strikes or any burst of violence and fury directed at another.