Simone Bodmer-Turner: Take Part In
Matter is very pleased to present Simone Bodmer-Turner’s first solo exhibition of sculpture and furniture in clay with wood, plaster, and metal components opening February 10, 2022 at Matter Projects.
With whimsical movement and tangible intention, Take Part In includes 25 pieces born not only from a curiosity to push the boundaries of a rigid material, but also as a reaction to how purely sculptural work somehow seems untouchable. The collection includes an expansion of Bodmer-Turner’s functional work, several one-of-a-kind lighting pieces made in collaboration with Matter, a set of modular pieces, an array of sculptures, and finally, a pewter ashtray with a hidden compartment for Matter Projects.
“The reason I am so drawn to this medium (clay) is because of the tactile, quiet interactivity of building each piece. It is rare to create something merely by touch, without protective gloves or loud, chaotic machinery, in such an intimate way,” says Bodmer-Turner. “I like building furniture out of this same material because it forces the viewer to interact with the piece — to pull on the suspended ball to turn the light on, to grasp the seed-shaped knob to extrude a drawer from a colossal mass of geometric shapes. There's some small delight and whimsy that I find in that, it's like being a child and getting to touch something even though you're not supposed to.”
“For years I was drawn to a very masculine, and sometimes primitive, brutalism. I suppose with age, my tastes have changed or evolved — perhaps softened,” says Jamie Gray, founder and creative director of Matter and Matter Made. “Simone’s work, which is still quite minimal, is a natural bridge between the direction I’m going and the places I’ve been.”
