Berlin September / Five
2014
Copper wire embedded in lime gesso on wooden panel
60.9 x 60.9 x 3.8 cm (24 x 24 in.) (each)
These four wood panels interspersed with all but erased lines invite meditation. The simplicity of the materials - plaster on wood - is complemented by that of the gesture. Using simple tools, Prabhavathi Meppayil marks these immaculate surfaces with hundreds of precise indentations. These patterns are produced with a thinnam, a type of metal tool used by goldsmiths to engrave metal.
Influenced by the meticulous work of her father, a goldsmith, Meppayil transposes this traditional know-how in the shape of a contemporary visual language that comes under the modernist canon. In Berlin September/Five, she is interested more specifically in the technical dimension of the artistic practice, giving priority to materials and tools.
The series of panels Berlin September/Five by Prabhavathi Meppayil is part of the Pinault Collection. It was first shown at the 2016 “Accrochage” ("Hanging") exhibition at the Punta della Dogana.
Influenced by the meticulous work of her father, a goldsmith, Meppayil transposes this traditional know-how in the shape of a contemporary visual language that comes under the modernist canon. In Berlin September/Five, she is interested more specifically in the technical dimension of the artistic practice, giving priority to materials and tools.
The series of panels Berlin September/Five by Prabhavathi Meppayil is part of the Pinault Collection. It was first shown at the 2016 “Accrochage” ("Hanging") exhibition at the Punta della Dogana.
Exhibitions
Courtesy the artist and Johnen Gallery, Berlin
Photo: Jens Ziehe
Exhibition view, Berlinoneseven, Johnen Gallery, Berlin, 2014
