Intersection

The layers of stretched black elastic in this sculpture create a series of lattice-based patterns that change as the viewer moves around the work. Michael Kidner described his experiments with grids and lattices as giving the dynamic energy of empty space a visible presence. He began integrating stretched elastic into these explorations in the 1980s, to create new, unpredictable forms:

‘When stretched, elasticised cloth contains energy. Only the warp is elastic, but – with an image drawn on it and stretched between two batons – distortions due to that energy are revealed. In this case, because I myself had imparted the energy, it was a matter of taste. To eliminate this limitation, I used fibreglass rods to provide the tension needed for stretching the elastic. I couldn’t have imagined the forms that would result.’ [1]

Lisa Newby, June 2022

[1] https://www.michaelkidner.com/selected-works/stretched-elastic/. Accessed June 2022.