Nancy Lupo's art is a captivating exploration of the elusive nature of home and the fantasies we weave around it. Her latest exhibition, 'Several Chickens Later', at Spike Island, Bristol, is a testament to her unique ability to transform the mundane into the extraordinary. Lupo's work is a masterful blend of personal narrative and conceptual art, inviting viewers to question their own perceptions of reality and fantasy.
One of the most striking aspects of Lupo's art is her use of everyday objects to create a sense of disorientation and fragility. In 'Hark', a contiguous formation of yellow napkins in protective plastic cases is taped over the skylights on the roof above. The effect is disorienting, akin to the insomniac time of night which is also morning. This subtle manipulation of light and space creates a sense of unease and uncertainty, reflecting the contemporary disorientation involved in home finding.
Lupo's fascination with the concept of home is further explored in 'The Enclosure', a three-quarter-scale, highly polished replica of a Victorian bay window. The artist fixated on the original bay window during her tenure at the Fiorucci Foundation's luxurious Chelsea apartment in London. By isolating and downsizing this original feature, Lupo creates a sense of tenuous immersion that is both captivating and unsettling. The conceptual evacuation staged in London is replaced in Bristol with a lapidary idol, extracted from the fantasy and compressed to an ambivalent scale.
Lupo's sculptures, such as the 'tellers' in 'The Mirage', are another fascinating aspect of her work. These ground-level, wilted pyramidal sculptures are formed from layers of glue, patterned paper towels, and pearlescent paint. The tent-like points have been completely inverted on some of the tellers, italicized on others, as if by a strong wind. The tellers are often repurposed between shows, their signification apparently leasable. This dynamic quality of the sculptures adds a layer of complexity and intrigue to Lupo's work.
Lupo's use of fall leaves, or dispersals of paper towels patterned with Thanksgiving-style autumn leaves, is another intriguing element of her work. In an act of childlike busywork, the individual layers of paper towel have been carefully peeled apart, and they have the quality of something sloughed off, like epidermal skin. This delicate and ethereal quality adds a sense of fragility and transience to Lupo's work.
Overall, Nancy Lupo's art is a powerful exploration of the elusive nature of home and the fantasies we weave around it. Her work is a masterful blend of personal narrative and conceptual art, inviting viewers to question their own perceptions of reality and fantasy. Lupo's ability to transform the mundane into the extraordinary is a testament to her unique artistic vision and her commitment to pushing the boundaries of contemporary art.
