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FSL Drawing Redaction

  • lsimonsart
  • Mar 7
  • 3 min read

Today I visited the Melanie Roger Gallery which was holding a one-day-only exhibition and live event. The attending audience were invited (under set conditions) to cut and take away a piece of Matt Ellwood's drawing for free.



"... Matt has drawn the very first Saint Laurent image photographed by Hedi Slimane to appear in Frieze (March 2013, Issue No. 153), as a fitting image to be cut up. Ellwood has also prepared 35 substrates only, and the audience are invited -on a first in, first served basis- to take one and use it as the template for cutting around, and simultaneously sticking on, their piece of the artwork.


Back in 2016, Frieze Saint Laurent also consisted of eight sculptures that were, in effect, ‘soapboxes’ for standing on and enacting a cacophonous spoken recital. Now, in FSL Drawing Redaction, Ellwood extends his functional sculpture practice, by constructing a ramp, the length of the gallery, that one must traverse (much like a model) to get to the drawing, receive a scalpel from the artist and commence their excision."

— Excerpt from the Melanie Roger Gallery website



I attended this event due to my thoughts, ideas, and interests that I believe align similarly to this work. For one, I wanted to see an establised drawing practice. Secondly I wanted to see how another artist uses disruption in their work, for instance, erasing, cutting, drawing over, etc. Thirdly, I wanted to see the audience interation and involement, as well as get involved myself. Most of all, I was curious to see how these three points of interest could come together and work cohesively in a gallery setting.


My experience at this event was interesting. With the drawing flipped against the wall there was no telling of what part of the image you got to take home with you, unless you were able to memorise the drawing and mirror the image in your head. There was a slight intimate chatter in the gallery as one by one people went up to take their piece. As the audience got into the swing of things the chatter grew into applause when a piece with interesting form and detail was taken, and also gre into laughter when a piece that was solid black was taken. I knew I wanted the top left corner as there were intricately drawn tassles on a cushion, so I waited until I felt it was the best time for me to go up. Im not a performer, nor am I one to stand up infront of a crowd no matter how small so I very anxious walking up the ramp to pick up the blade. I know I interrupt my own work often by splitting my drawings into pieces, drawing over the top of them, cutting them up again, etc, but doing it to another artists work (even with permission) I felt reserved. My palms were sweating and I felt quite shaky until I started cutting out my piece. I felt calm in the moment. I flipped my cutting around and was excited to see that I had taken away the area of the drawing I had intended. There were oooh's and ahhh's when I held it up and showed the audience. I had a few people come up to me asking for a closer look.



At the end of the live showcase, Matt Ellwood stepped forward and shared a few words. "... maybe anxiety, or whatever you were feeling when you were performing and cutting; it's part of drawing. It's part of, hopefully, an ongoing relationship with you all, so thank you for coming."



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