Alice Dellal, the British-Brazilian model, is squeezing her boobs – half seductive, half sarcastic – towards a camera, imitating the pose of the supersize nude female sculpture that towers above her head. This summed up the atmosphere at BlainSouthern as Tim Noble and Sue Webster unveiled their third exhibition at the gallery, ‘Sticks With Dicks and Slits’ — a vibe very much catalysed by the works themselves, a series of giant self-portraits as stick figures.
Known for their unconventional work with self-portraiture, the YBA duo came up with the idea for the new sculptures during a residency in St Barts, yet the works are still very British, and very urban, poking fun at themselves, reduced to simplistic frames, but they also guffaw at the polished gallery goers, puny and fleshy below them — one Tim sculpture even urinates down on the viewer.
A Lovely Pair (Standing)' detail, by Tim Noble and Sue Webster, 2017. Courtesy of the artists and BlainSouthern
There are three couples in the show — three men, three women — each pair inhabiting a different pose, standing, seated and squatting. Sculpted in twisted bronze to look like wire, Noble and Webster’s latest creations appear to have been fashioned with a fast energy, irreverent and spontaneous like the punk music that has been a constant inspiration to them – but their scale and medium of course implies a more careful, drawn-out process, using an antiquated method that involved casting rods of wax.
At first, this show appears to be little more than a send-up of the idea of the self in art, but the more time you spend with these comical stick men and women, the heavier their seemingly light frames become. A certain kind of balance emerges – it’s physical, in that the very act of sculpting demands it, but it’s also in the equal presence of masculine and feminine, chaotic and calm, among other things. It’s not an obvious political statement, but a time when so little seems to make sense, stripping things down to their most rudimentary form might be the only thing we can do.
Detail of A Lovely Pair (Standing), 2017
A Lovely Pair (Standing), 2017
Three stick-couples occupy the gallery (three men, three women), each pair inhabiting a different pose, standing, seated and squatting
INFORMATION
‘Sticks with Slits and Dicks’ is on view until 25 March. For more information, visit the BlainSouthern website
ADDRESS
4 Hanover Square
London W1S 1BP
-
This surreal new seafood restaurant in LA is the stuff of mermaid's dreamsAt Cento Raw Bar, delectable fare is complemented by playful, oceanic interiors by Brandon Miradi
-
What’s new in the wearable world of smart glasses, and extended and augmented realityAre you ready for AR? Meta, Google, Snap and more are gearing up to compete with Apple and deliver frames-based communications devices – complete with AI integration
-
Italian-Japanese fusion’s a joy at east London’s Osteria AngelinaA Victorian warehouse in Spitalfields has been given a slick modern makeover to house a unique Italian-Japanese restaurant
-
Get lost in Megan Rooney’s abstract, emotional paintingsThe artist finds worlds in yellow and blue at Thaddaeus Ropac London
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekIt was a jam-packed week for the Wallpaper* staff, entailing furniture, tech and music launches and lots of good food – from afternoon tea to omakase
-
London calling! Artists celebrate the city at Saatchi YatesLondon has long been an inspiration for both superstar artists and newer talent. Saatchi Yates gathers some of the best
-
Alexandra Metcalf creates an unsettling Victorian world in LondonAlexandra Metcalf turns The Perimeter into a alternate world in exhibition, 'Gaaaaaaasp'
-
Lubaina Himid and Magda Stawarska’s new show at Kettle’s Yard will uncover the missing narratives in everyday life storiesThe artists and partners in life are collaborating on an immersive takeover of Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge, in an exhibition that delves into a lost literary legacy
-
Sexual health since 1987: archival LGBTQIA+ posters on show at Studio VoltaireA look back at how grassroots movements emphasised the need for effective sexual health for the LGBTQIA+ community with a host of playful and informative posters, now part of a London exhibition
-
Ten things to see at London Gallery WeekendAs 125 galleries across London take part from 6-8 June 2025, here are ten things not to miss, from David Hockney’s ‘Love’ series to Kayode Ojo’s look at the superficiality of taste
-
Out of office: what the Wallpaper* editors have been up to this weekThis week saw the Wallpaper* team jet-setting to Jordan and New York; those of us left in London had to make do with being transported via the power of music at rooftop bars, live sets and hologram performances
