Walldella VI

Location

Country: Italy
City: Rome
Place: British Embassy

'Waldella VI' is one of many illuminated and brightly coloured sculptural works that David Batchelor has made in recent years. His sculptures, mostly assembled from second hand objects, exist mainly as a foil for his obsession with colour and light. This sculpture incorporates cheap, recycled plastic cleaning fluid bottles and containers. Its use of found materials engages with the history of modernism and, in particular, the readymade sculptures of Marcel Duchamp. These unlikely, manufactured materials are strung together with cables, bulbs and plugs to create an unexpectedly beautiful 'readymade' hanging piece which radiates seductive colour.

In 2007 'Waldella VI' was exhibited in Winchester Cathedral along with sculptures by other contemporary British artists including Marc Quinn, Rachel Whiteread and Darren Almond. It was suspended from a pillar in the Cathedral's nave, where it cast light on a stained glass window depicting Jesus, the Virgin Mary and St John.

David Batchelor is currently Senior Tutor in Critical Theory at the Royal College of Art, London. He studied fine art at Trent Polytechnic, Nottingham, and cultural theory at the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies, Birmingham University. He has exhibited extensively in the UK, Europe, the US and Latin America. In 2008 he participated in the inaugural exhibition of the Folkestone Triennial; and exhibited work in 'Colour Chart' a contemporary group show at MOMA, New York. Author of three books, 'Minimalism' (1997), 'Chromophobia' (2000) and Colour (2008) he is a regular contributor to international art journals.

David Batchelor was born in Dundee, Scotland. He studied fine art at Trent Polytechnic, Nottingham, and cultural theory at the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies, Birmingham University. He has exhibited extensively in the UK, Europe, the United States and Latin America. Works include a commission for the Platform for Art series for London Transport, for which Batchelor incorporated and painted recycled metal forms into the arched niches of Gloucester Road Underground station; and sculpture for the Xiamen International Sculpture Exhibition in China. In 2008 he participated in the inaugural exhibition of the Folkestone Triennial for which he exhibited a revolving globe constructed from colourful plastic sunglasses. He also exhibited his work in Colour Chart, a contemporary group show at MOMA, New York in 2008. His solo show Concretos was held at New Art Centre, Salisbury in 2014. A former Senior Tutor in Critical Theory at the Royal College of Art, London, Batchelor was previously AHRB Research Fellow from 2001 to 2004. Author of three books, Minimalism (1997), Chromophobia (2000) and Colour (2008) he also regularly contributes to journals such as Artscribe, Frieze and Artforum.

Places

Subjects

abstract, lamp, bottle, light bulb

Materials & Techniques

plastic containers, low energy lights, electric plug, electric cable, sculpture (as object name), assemblage

Artist

David Batchelor (1955 - )

Title

Walldella VI

Date

2007

Medium

20 plastic containers, low energy lights, electric cable and plug

Dimensions

height: 177.50 cm, width: 52.00 cm, depth: 28.50 cm

Acquisition

Purchased from Wilkinson Gallery, August 2008

Provenance

Wilkinson Gallery

GAC number

18205