Rewind: Tim Whiten
Olga Korper Gallery, Toronto
The world Tim Whiten has created in the gallery consists of light, glass and iron. Geometry, precision and beauty define its space. Tools and materials demonstrate the integrity of masonry. A glass broom leans in the corner. Integrated into a half-built wall made of cast glass are a level, a set square, a plumb bob and a divider. A glass skull sits on a shelf. Suspended as if in mid-air across the room is a grouping of plumb bobs. They sparkle magically so that we watch out of the corner of our eye, afraid they may disappear. The arrangement of objects in space makes viewers move carefully, aware of our physicality in contrast to the glass objects that seem to emit their own light.
Working with cast and etched glass, often combined with brass, Whitens sculptures glow in orange-and-green translucence. There is both fragility and resilience to themthe glass is breakable; the tools are all functional. The level is for accuracy, the divider to measure, the plumb to align the perpendicular. The skull element relates the tools to the human brain and central nervous system, a link to where thoughts originate and control physical action. The combination of practical application and intellectthe ability to erect physical structures mirroring the human endeavour to excelis what Whiten addresses. While the tools may be functional, they also figuratively suggest the possibility of transforming a flawed existence through integrity and hard work.
Whitens tools are metaphors; they are for building a better, more workable world. His broom stands ready to sweep out the cobwebs; the task is to erect human beings who are accurate and honest, able to tackle the issues of the day. As keeper of these tools, Whiten lays them out, inviting us to contemplate how and where this new body should be built. Surrounded by his magical, fragile but insistently physical world, we, the viewers, are called upon to continue the process of building.
Spring 2003
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