Nicky Hirst
Real Size
28.04.17 – 27.05.17
Opens
Friday 28 April 6–8pm

Domo Baal is delighted to present 'Real Size' a solo exhibition by Nicky Hirst.

Nicky Hirst writes:
When I was a child, two things especially used to bother me a lot. I had heard that a giant squid could blanket Piccadilly Circus and if we pulled out our intestines they would reach the length of a tennis court. At Art College I was told to make it bigger. Later I learned that there are more atoms in a cup of water than there are cups of water in all the oceans of the world.

Penny Sexton (curator at Compton Verney) writes:
Known for her subtle and elegant work employing a variety of media, Hirst's art is perhaps best described as an exploration of serendipity that can occur in unintended and unexpected places. Her sources may be particular objects or certain words whose meaning she may subtly shift by manipulation or juxtaposition. Hirst's output is multifarious, including drawing, sculpture, etched glass, collage, printed text and photography. While avoiding simple categorisation, Hirst's art is always characterised by a measured stance and sensitivity towards materials.

David Lillington (writer and curator) writes:
These objects pack power, but writing about it is well nigh impossible. What is really noticeable is that Hirst understands metaphors. She can summon and control them. This is a rare gift. What she seems to do is this: she suggests a number of possible metaphors, but fulfils none of them. At the same time she ensures that they are coherent one with another. This sets up a kind of magnetic field of associations in which (the viewer feels) the imagination is held, as if suspended, or floating. And in this way the work's subject becomes not just the connections, but the very idea of connection itself. This in turn becomes metaphorical: it is about language, and human relationships.

I will also be presenting a solo project 'Invisible Mending' at AMP in Peckham, London, from 8 May until 4 June 2017