Sitting slap bang in the middle of the Geffrye Museum garden, Kei Ito‘s installation is an adventure in scale and perspective. It was apparently inspired by the imagined journey of one of the storks on a 19th Century gasolier in the museum, as it comes to life and flies through the museum, making its escape.
Given the importance of light in this installation (as seen in the cherry tree above, photographed by Matthew Andrews, with its flowing fibre optic ‘flowers’), I can imagine it’s best seen at night – however it stands up to daytime viewing and in fact I think some of the details might have been lost in the darkness.
Variously described as a fashion designer, costume designer and textiles artist Kei Ito is known for her adventurous creations. And true to form, she learnt to forge metal and developed new techniques for creating fabric optic fabric in the process of developing this installation.
I particularly liked this ‘housing estate of bird houses’, which had a strangely animated quality, and the cloud-like structures below, which betray Ito’s textile background, albeit explored in new materials.
But, to really shine, there were some pieces that did need the darkness (photo by Matthew Andrews)…
The installation is in-situ at the Geffrye Museum until Autumn 2012.
Further reading for the especially geeky:
- http://www.themaking.org.uk/Content/makers/2010/01/kei_ito.html
- http://www.museumaker.com/makers/kei-ito
- http://www.geffrye-museum.org.uk/pressroom/releases/sitting-the-light-fantastic-an-installation-by-ke/
- http://ikono.tv/2011/09/put-on-your-helmet-to-experience-hyperreality-at-londons-geffrye-museum/
