MU Student Union Online

Molly Cook
11–21 August

Touch is an exploration of materials and objects that are often missed or discarded. It does not attempt to elevate the materials but to enhance their natural qualities. The show focuses on the subtle transformations materials take on when manipulated by the delicate touch of hand and light.

Opening night: Wednesday 12 August, 5 –7pm

Touch reviewed by Laura Howard

Touch is an exhibition that takes everyday discarded materials which are universally recognisable yet often overlooked, changing their purpose to evolve into a new role within the gallery context. So-called worthless objects such as polypropylene straps used to secure packing boxes, orange roadside construction mesh, garden ties, electrical wires and old snack packaging become objet d’art. Items viewed solely in terms of their practical purposes are reconstituted and reborn through the touch of hand and light.

The impetus behind Touch originated with Cook exploring the act of changing things with her hands and the idea of the touch of the hand transforming the form. ‘Colour, surface and texture are always prominent in my work,’ explains Cook. Sea-green polyester strapping becomes an entity reminiscent of underwater life. Orange construction mesh forms an anthropomorphic shape on the floor, entwined with small lights which flirt with the concept of shadow and repeat shapes and forms, involving the wider gallery space in a dialogue. Cook states New York based artist Sarah Sze is an influence, ‘In the way she constructs things, which become a whole form—taking up the space they are within.’

Cook continually re-uses materials. Almost every element within the exhibition has been reconstituted into a new form, with a freshly endowed aesthetic denotation far removed from its original utilitarian purpose. Some are even reused a second time. Any work Cook no longer uses or dislikes is cut up by hand with scissors, sitting in front of the TV, continuing the cycle of regeneration. The remains can be seen wafting around the floor of the exhibition along with air-filled plastic bags, echoing and responding to the movement of people.

Such pre-used items are inexpensive (or free), allowing Cook to continue her artistic practice without financial constraints. Cook insists the reason for her chosen media is not solely based on environmental impulses. She uses objects which she constantly sees around her—over and over again. The act of collecting these items and incorporating them into her artistic practice, such as a Metcard which has turned orange in the rain or leftover paint-stained paper towels from her mother’s painting classes, acknowledges and elevates unnoticed objects around her. Cook is interested in exploring our incessant cycle of buying, using and consuming; the way we throw out receipts and bags without a second thought. Her works invite a change of pace, for viewers to slow down and observe our environment, and the things around us so that details are not overlooked.

Cook intends deliberate and unhurried observation, not just glancing. She explains, ‘When looking at it, look closely, and realise what they [objects] are, where they are from, and how they are changed.’ Cook’s interest in her materials, their form and tactile qualities makes Touch a sensory experience which is hard to resist.