Studio Voltaire, Clapham, London

Asiya Clarke showed a series of 4 collages on board (untitled), and a series of paintings titled I see people as magnificent, terrifying and... . The conversation related the collages to Matisse's late works and to the contemporary fantastical collages of Wangechi Mutu, which feature mythical creatures and suggest exotic landscapes. These elements of Clarke's paintings and collages were discussed with reference to mythology and the subconscious.

Will Webster presented Basic Commercial, an installation of objects, including a sculpture featuring a picture frame atop an irregular plinth, a wall-mounted photo and a series of postcards in a dispenser on a tabletop. The conversation revolved around the relationship between object and image, with reference to the base of the plinth, which appeared to me made from or derived from polystyrene packaging. This lead to some discussion of the “commercial" nature of the work, in the sense of there being a feeling of display for commercial (or shop) purposes.

Will Webster
www.willwebster.com

Asiya Clarke
www.asiyaclarke.org