Shattered

GROVE is excited to present 'Shattered', a solo exhibition by Billy Fraser. This is the first time the gallery has worked with Fraser.

'Shattered' insists on the destruction’s capacity to contain the sublime. Billy Fraser’s resin "shatterscapes", windowpane-like tablets that are forged through multiple layers of cracked material set over one another, are themselves an exercise in destruction: the interplay of colours and light only happens by chance, when a layer of resin cracks between two others. As such, it is Fraser’s willingness to embrace the unknown, creating only the conditions for a serendipitous reaction, that becomes the crux of the practice, and by extension, work. The role of the artist is thus transformed from that of producer to experimenter; labourer to mad scientist.

However, despite the intricacy of the process, Fraser remains committed to art’s ability to be transcendental for everyone. Citing Josef Albers’ commitment to the transformative power of art, Fraser looks to appeal to a universal sense of beauty in his resin works. Such is the connection to the sublime: this universal connection becomes the foundation for a perception of the world that exceeds our initial recognition. In the chance beauty of his works, Fraser invites us to look deeper at aesthetics we might otherwise ignore.

For GROVE, 'Shattered' expands on the GROVE East program, while returning to the gallery’s London community.