Gabriel Orozco is famed for his playful mutation of the objects he finds. He’s like a Mexican Womble. Not sure how much he’ll appreciate that, but the fact is that Orozco manages to take the everyday and change it subtly so that it is no longer what it once was.
Perhaps his most striking work is Black Kites, made out of a human skull, which he spent 6 months drawing a chessboard of black squares with a graphite pencil, covering the entire surface, including the eye sockets. This work is indicative of his interest in games, which is also captured in his billiard table without pockets and the mesmerising Horses Running Endlessly, which features a 256 square chess board in 4 colours (as apposed to the monochrome 64 square traditional board) thronged with only knights that match the colours of the squares.
In addition to his sculptural work, the Tate Modern will also be exhibiting Orozco’s photography, which appear to hone in on the beauty that can be caught in the briefest of moments. This will include his Pinched Ball, which captures the image of murky water collecting in a punctures and collapsed football.
The Gabriel Orozco exhibition opens on the 19th January 2011, starting off a new exhibition year with style, and runs through to the 25th April 2011. Tickets are £10 for adults (£11.00 for gift aid adult with donation) and £8.50 for concessions (£9.50 with gift aid & donation). Not a cheap exhibition, but well worth a day out at the Tate Modern.
