25th September - 12th October
Works by Rachel Button Curated by Rachel Button and Liv Thomas
The shining bell of a horn which distorts the world in its reflection is the same as the open mouth of a cave. The breath of human life invigorates the instrument which mingles with the breath of the universe. The cave mouth and the trumpet bell appear only as outer shells which conceal. Both contend with and negotiate unseen forces by way of human experience, the thin membrane between this world and whatever human perception cannot comprehend. By their very nature, the passages of both tend to taper exponentially smaller the further one tries to investigate. There comes a point in each where the passage curves away, deliberately inaccessible. A force acts out of sight which may be, like angels with a thousand eyes, too sublime to be experienced. Max Beckmann came close to representing this mystery in his violent chiaroscuro. He holds the horn at the ready, poised to give some kind of imminent warning, signal, or clarion call. The mouth of a horn doubles as the mouth of warning. Not all is as it appears to be
