Visited the White Cube in Bermondsey for Antony Gormleys "Model" exhibition. The use of the body in geometric terms has a certain intriguing disorientation, completely absorbing the audience with the empathy of the anonymous human body. Blocks instead of curves, Gormley uses materials of industry as the flesh and box containers as the body.
Walking into the main gallery with "Model" a wall of steel faces you, leaving you guessing where the actual piece is before realising after gaining perpective you can view the mass of steel as a resting"gullivers travels"-style body lying on its back. The body itself is the labyrinth of darkness and smooth metal. Not at all daunting or unnerving, you walk into the body through a single entrance at the far end of the room. When I went it was almost empty and soothingly still. I ventured around with confusing levels of height and width I used my hands (perhaps rebelliously) to feel my way into the main ventricle of the piece, quite chapel-like, light peered in at different dimensions. I find myself in a slightly meditative state, not closely inspecting or even observing but a definite engulfment in space and atmosphere.
The use of the body has a strange comforting affect whilst navigating around the inner maze. I found Gormleys use of materials and dimensions the perfect balance of estrangement with the relativity of the human form.
