Outset Scotland supported the commission of new work by Nicolas Deshayes for his first solo exhibition in Scotland: 'Darling, Gutter' at Glasgow Sculpture Studios.
Nicolas Deshayes, Darling, Gutter, 2015 (Jesmonite, plastic, brass, steel and hot water)
Deshayes is known for experimenting with industrial production processes in his studio practice. In so doing, he imbues mechanical manufacturing methods with a decidedly human touch, leaving room for error and mess in mass-produced materials. This way of working resulted in one of Glasgow Sculpture Studios most ambitious commissions so far, 'Darling, Gutter', which was painstakingly produced on-site by the artist and the GSS technical team.
For this exhibition, Deshayes made a series of expandable polyurethane foam forms and cast them in solid Jesmonite, with copper piping implanted in them. These six sculptures were then plumbed into the heating system at GSS. Whilst the sculptures functioned as custom-made radiators, the original pipework of the boiler system became sculpture too.
The circuit between the sculptures, building and central boiler could be seen as similar to the human body, in which individual organs are linked to the body’s central nervous system. All the elements in the gallery were connected. In fact, Deshayes referred to this exhibition as ‘an anatomy for the space’ – an aspect that was heightened by the unexpectedly fleshy appearance of the warm Jesmonite.
