SPILL! An Exhibition by Katy Mason
We were invited to 'SPILL', an exhibition showcasing the spillage and overflow of stuff
In the heart of Tottenham, London, artist and Trash Club co-founder Katy Mason welcomed visitors to an awe-inspiring exhibition. "SPILL" is Mason’s first solo exhibition, exhibited at the Sarabande Foundation's new studio and exhibition space, situated within two Grade II listed townhouses. Having been a resident of Sarabande from 2021 -2022, Mason's intimate understanding of the foundation's ethos has supported her journey as an artist. Sarabande supports artists and designers with scholarships to study at top-level institutions in London, a subsidised studio programme with bespoke mentoring, and a public programme of on-site events for the wider creative industries.
"SPILL" is Mason's exploration of the intricate relationship between humanity and materialism. This exhibition invites viewers to confront the chaos of modern existence and discover beauty amidst the debris of everyday life. Through meticulous arrangements of discarded materials, Mason transforms everyday detritus into objects of profound beauty and significance, inviting viewers to confront the chaos of modern existence through a lens of introspection and contemplation.
At first glance, the exhibition space is awash with an array of textures, shapes, and colours reminiscent of a garden shed or landfill. Yet, amidst the chaos, a fragile sense of tranquillity is present—emerging from the collision of disparate elements. Mason masterfully captures this dichotomy, juxtaposing the weightiness of discarded objects with the ephemeral beauty of the way they are presented and combined.
©Katy Mason
©Katy Mason
“When we cut the chord tying us to consumption; when we crawl out of the burrow, blink into the light and fly above the mess we have made…we can’t help but notice the stacks of our Stuff piled up below us; chaos!…bits and pieces of stuff everywhere, spilling out of every orifice.”
And yet...there is a worth in validating where we have decided to place our obsessions; our wants needs and desires for love. Every object, every material, has a story to tell. Like volcanos erupting through the collision of tectonic plates; the spillage and overflow of our stuff has the power for aesthetic beauty as well destruction.
My eye is often drawn to the way people have taken a moment - a seemingly insignificant one - to stack up their cardboard, place it in the recycling and press it down, creating delicate layers of crinkling cards that reveal intricate patterns, faces, shapes and textures, all from a moment motivated by practicality. packing, stacking, dropping throwing things away all day long.”
I wanted to realise stories of personalities, people, humans, events, daily annoyances, rituals, throwaway comments and tasks that are a part of the everyday. Realising these stories through messy works that represent our inner psyches but also the reality of our outer worlds and the impact our actions have (often without realising it); the glasses we snapped, the pen that exploded ink, the Trek Bar wrapper we just binned. Beyond the facade of the polished photo clean coat brushed hair… Capturing the moment and the mess…feeling overwhelmed, feeling scared but embracing it and making art anyway.” - Katy Mason
©Katy Mason, Sarabande High Road
Through her sculptures, Mason navigates the interplay between light and shadow, softness and hardness, inviting viewers to contemplate the complexities of the human experience as reflected through the material world. To your left-crinkled cardboard, meticulously stacked and compressed, revealing hidden patterns and textures— to your right - A tennis ball and shoe stacked high, playful and eery.
From the mundane to the sublime, "SPILL" captures the essence of human experience through the eyes of the artist. Visitors were drawn into a world where the snapping of glasses and the twinkle of broken glass are presented as symbols of both struggle and resilience, inviting us all to take a step back and think.
