Abstract

Seventeen small sculptures made between 2004 and 2007 and have been languishing on a shelf in his studio since then form the basis of this installation.

Akin to a shelf of unread books, they are nevertheless an essential part of the lexicon of Plowman’s artistic practice. Like the library, these sculptures can be seen as a store of information, a repository of knowledge.

For the exhibition at Idea Store Whitechapel, the artist has re-engaged with these neglected works. In keeping with the library setting, he has devised a classification system consisting of five categories, each named by one of the vowels. Within each category, each sculpture is identified by its respective letter and a number.

Reclassified, the sculptures are now usually stored in five bespoke boxes. At the Idea Store they will be displayed on a shelf, with their cases arranged on the floor opposite.The installation will reference the library context yet resonate as a subjective, alternative presence within the existing system of ordering and classification.