COMPOST | Laura Porter

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Compost by Laura Porter at Plough Arts Canter in Great Torrington, Devon was a solo exhibition from 25 February to 31 March 2023.

This show was a masterclass in restricted pallet art, showcasing a body of sculptures & drawings. The sculptural elements comprised a floor based set of barriers through the middle of the space & wall hung forms.

The work is made of steel frames coated in hand cut reclaimed clothing, reformed using a natural textile pulp. This exciting formation in the gallery cuts the space in half in a crescent shape, directing the viewer around the gallery. The human made shapes take an organic feel as they are slightly wobbly, looking as though they are damaged or well used. At various points the form is interrupted by a shard sticking out of an edge or a strut that isn’t complete. The ability to lean on the barrier or run your hand along the top edge taken away, making these ergonomic objects a more hazardous form of crowd control.

The dark colours in some parts make the shapes seem burned or scorched, other areas may resemble graffiti. They are in an altered state.

Close inspection rewards the viewer. Flecks of texture & colour begin to describe the clothing used to form them. The fabric changing suddenly, revealing a new garment. They could be Jeans, jumpers or shirts.

This work is absence of human form, but does become figurative when you connect the ergonomics of the barrier & discover the garments. I think of 3 different people knowing this information. The original maker of the clothes. The fashion consumer. The artist.

A complete cycle is evident from the mass production of the fast fashion industry to the relitevly short lived consumption & finally the artists reclaim.

The wall based forms are more ambugious. They make me think of urban forms. Perhaps air vents covered in grease. Grates over drains or mesh used to fence an area. Or maybe they are lobster pots on the beach or washed up netting covered in seaweed. They exude a dynamic of the human made taken over by something organic.

Subtly they float on the wall.