A protest against reluctance

This piece is called ‘This drove my mother up the wall’ – I bet it did!

This installation was created by Katharina Grosse and is currently at the South London Gallery. I was drawn by the colourfulness of the piece. I love abstract painting and bold colours, so her work immediately drew my eye. Once you’re in the room, it’s like being immersed in a giant painting.

Also running as part of the exhibition are two films. In one the films, Grosse explains her motivations and inspirations. She describes her work as aggressive and a ‘protest against reluctance’ a phrase which resonated with me.

Why be timidly confined by the boundaries of canvas and frame? Why not let the painting just burst out of boring expectations and fill a whole room with colour, life and vitality.

Some of Grosse’s other works have involved painting entire buildings with colour and shapes.

As you first step into the room the painting looks like giant graffiti but as you walk around and experience the room, you can see and feel so much more.

Looking at this side of the room made me feel like I was at sea.

The little patches like this one in the middle of the room made you feel like you were looking down into a hole.

The shapes of the white spaces left behind looked like they had been painted on rather than being the voids where the paint was not.

What a fantastic visual invitation to creativity and boldness.