Jumbled Alphabetis a playground for the eyes. Soft abstract forms freezeframe on a stage contorted to South London Gallery’s main gallery space. We slowly paced the perimeter of the off-white rectangular platform, using the gaps between edges to make a guided intrusion. Two portrait photographs of a girl (Baghramian’s granddaughter) against a cobalt blue background hung in opposite sides of the room. I felt the knots in her hair, thickness of her knitted jumper and weight of the beads around her neck; my senses understood her sidelined position more than I could grapple with the materials and processes used in Baghramian’s creations as the ‘Please do not touch’ signs stood between our engagement. Are they smooth and slippery? Hollow? Could we lift that? If I tried to climb through that, would it fall…knock something else over - break?
Jumbled Alphabetseeks to challenge experiences of play in which objects neatly fit together, encouraging space for the uncertainty in creativity and ‘celebrating the beauty of things that don’t fit’[1]. The colours expressed the safety of contentment; cool blues and an exciting shade of red were neatly contained. The larger marble pieces next to the 21st century Scandinavian aesthetic felt like they were asking for humility despite their worth. Contrasting textures of natural wood to polished metals, shiny surfaces balancing against matte paints were like looking over a puzzle and left me imagining the process of making and touching.
As the audience quietly wandered around, artwork poised in the middle of the room, our positioning felt entirely convenient; we fulfilled the role of passive spectator as the artist presented us with ideas we cannot integrate with. To me, playing is participation with an undetermined outcome; it allows for spontaneous movement, expression, vulnerability and a lack of understanding. I felt however, that if this was the intended meaning, it was undermined by the sculptures’ permanence shielded by the gallery. Invitations to observe were based on opportunity and invitations to play were crumpled and put in the bin. It raised the question; doesn’t the lack of interaction involved in an exhibition about playing maintain the status quo that gallery institutions uphold and the artist sought to challenge?
[1] ‘Nairy Baghramian Jumbled Alphabet’, Exhibition guide (South London Gallery, 2024).