Breaking down perspectives by breaking down walls…

Phantom Perspectives lies in an arena where art and science harmoniously converge to test the limits of human logic and supposed reality. By questioning the walls of the space, the capacity of our vision and our confidence in reality, the visitor can transcend to a new actuality through the removal of perspective. 

Damien Gilley’s vibrant works expose invisible architectures through perceptual installations that desire to explore the physical world. With such a thought-provoking concept that parallels the ideology of Phantom Perspectives, I loved his pieces as they question the gallery walls, through a creation of depth and testing of the constructed boundaries of the inhabited space. All of Gilley’s are large and dominating pieces that command space, thus this room allows for the art to breathe, ensuring that the effect from the first has subdued before the next begins. 

The combination of bright, striking colours that catch the eye of the viewer are very inviting and show how the walls of the gallery can be tested. Another that has used a similar concept but in a very different way is street artist, 1010 whose works trick the visitor into perceiving holes in the walls through texture, tone and light. The use of curves and smooth, loose lines provides an interesting contrast to the straightness of the gallery walls, adding to the loss of familiarity in the space.  

Daniel Buren has famously stated that the museum makes its ‘mark’ and imposes its ‘frame’ both physically and morally upon the art that it contains; the same can also be said of the gallery space. Phantom Perspectives’ incorporation of a varied collective of artists and types of piece will subsequently hope to challenge expectation.