Art Review: Antony Gormley @ White Cube, Bermondsey

Tabish Khan
By Tabish Khan Last edited 136 months ago
Art Review: Antony Gormley @ White Cube, Bermondsey
Antony Gormley, Model (interior view). Image courtesy White Cube
Antony Gormley, Model (interior view). Image courtesy White Cube
Antony Gormley, Corridor. Image courtesy White Cube
Antony Gormley, Corridor. Image courtesy White Cube
Antony Gormley, Model. Image courtesy White Cube
Antony Gormley, Model. Image courtesy White Cube
Antony Gormley, Mark. Image courtesy White Cube
Antony Gormley, Mark. Image courtesy White Cube
Antony Gormley, Cumulate IV. Image courtesy White Cube
Antony Gormley, Cumulate IV. Image courtesy White Cube
Antony Gormley, The Model Room. Image courtesy White Cube
Antony Gormley, The Model Room. Image courtesy White Cube

After the fairly uninspiring exhibition at the soon-to-be-closed Hoxton White Cube Gallery, Gormley has now been given the larger White Cube at Bermondsey to populate with his sculptures.

The corridor and the earlier galleries are filled with his trademark humanoid sculptures assembled from iron rectangles. But these are just like sculptures we've seen before and visitors can be forgiven for feeling a little disappointed.

In the final gallery we finally encounter something new that takes full advantage of the massive space of the second South Gallery. Gormley has created a super-sized version of his aforementioned humanoid sculpture — based on a 3D scan of himself lying down.

The sculpture has been hollowed out so you can enter through the 'foot' and make your way along the body. All visitors will have to sign a health and safety disclaimer before they enter as it's quite dark and contains many a low ceiling. It even contains smaller gaps that people can crawl through if they feel so inclined.

The journey is punctuated by larger sections where shafts of light shine through. It feels like exiting a cave or entering a jungle clearing. Yes it may be gimmicky but discovering the artwork is an enjoyable experience with each viewer gaining a unique perspective.

When Gormley tries something new, it usually goes down well, so we look forward to future innovative works and less of the same.

Antony Gormley: Model is on display at the White Cube, 144-152 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3TQ until 10 February. Entrance is free.

Last Updated 28 November 2012