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', on display at Spike Island, Bristol, showcases her unique approach to storytelling through sculpture and installation art. Lupo's work delves into the idea that our dreams of a perfect home are often fleeting and transient, much like the characters and settings she creates.
One of the most intriguing pieces, titled 'The Enclosure', is a three-quarter-scale replica of a Victorian bay window, elongated to allow visitors to sit inside. This sculpture is a literalization of the narrator's fantasy in her debut novel, 'Meow Meow Real Estate', where she describes a dream apartment in Berlin with walls over four meters tall. Lupo's use of a small, jewel-like architectural feature in the center of the room creates a sense of disorientation and a yellow haze, reminiscent of the insomniac time of night that is also morning. The yellow napkins, taped over skylights, filter the natural light, adding to the surreal atmosphere.
The sculptures in 'The Mirage' are another highlight, featuring ground-level, wilted pyramidal forms made from layers of glue, patterned paper towels, and pearlescent paint. These 'tellers' are often repurposed between shows, taking on different meanings. In 'Disko', they represented icebergs, but in Bristol, they seem to embody the narrator's failure to be anchored in any one place. The fall leaves, made from peeled paper towels, accumulate around the tellers, creating a sense of something sloughed off, like epidermal skin. This accumulation around the edges of the room adds a layer of complexity to the overall installation.
Lupo's work challenges the sense of immersion in her installations. The breathing motors, visible through the paper towels, and the yellow haze created by the napkins, taped to the skylight, contribute to a surreal and ambivalent atmosphere. The dream house, as described in the novel, remains a mirage, and Lupo's sculptures serve as moorings, securing the dream to a material reality. However, the loose and fugitive knot she ties suggests that the dream house is always just out of reach.
'Several Chickens Later' is a thought-provoking exhibition that invites viewers to reflect on their own fantasies of home and the challenges of finding a sense of belonging in a constantly changing world. Lupo's unique approach to storytelling and her use of sculpture and installation art make her work a must-see for anyone interested in contemporary art and the exploration of the human condition.
