Date: March 27 - May 9, 2010

Venue: Room 310, 3F, No. 696 Weihai Road (Shaanxi Road S.) Shanghai, China

Sculpting industrial cast-offs into iconic Kimono shapes, there's a great basic tension in Gordon Chandler's work that comes from the tactile differences between his materials and subjects. The contrasts are the natural outcome of his Duchampian use of found materials. "I have a very practical bent," he says, "I use things of very little value and elevate them. I study the objects that we decorate our lives with and reconfigure them in my own language." The 55-gallon drum is a container used worldwide to deliver a wide variety of materials. They are widely recognized, ubiquitous symbols of commerce. Once delivered and emptied of their original contents, they are used for a variety of different outcomes. The discarded steel drum bears a history of wear and travel on its surface. From these containers, Chandler chooses the ones with the most intriguing composition and patinas. For him, there is often some reference to the patterned silk fabric of traditional robes. The process from here is like origami. First the barrel is cleaned. Then he cuts the two ends out, cuts it the long way and flatten the hollow cylinder. Left is a rectangle. Through a series of cuts, folds, and a little welding the garment becomes apparent.

Phone: +86 21 6279 0993

Susanne: 86 1502 100 5047 (eng)

Yuwe: +86 1580 187 1372 (eng, cn)