Big Bottom Drawers

Niel Austin "Procession"

Gitta Gschwendtner "Wedge Racer"

Bottom Drawers, top name for an exhibition, made me smile. I received a private view email from Gitta Gschwendtner, a dear friend and one of the many talented designers exhibiting work in the show. Love this group of people / designers they have such an off the wall way of playing with home and the objects we live with, side by side, every day. The exhibition is curated by Carl Clerkin and The Pitzhanger Manor Gallery and House using the gallery and adjoining manor house to show new work and installations. They are all wonderfully dotted around both spaces. To aid viewing there is a pink booklet to read as you go around the house, kind of like a friendly matey guided tour. In the main space of the gallery there is a huge installation called “all the stuff out of the attic”. Amazing! As the name suggests all the stuff in the attic of the house which was designed and once owned by the architect Sir John Soane. There are all sorts of strange forgotten old and new objects in this installation. Loved it! Great context and beautifully placed. For me it had a feeling of layered history and things forgotten given importance and love again. Gitta Gschwendtner’s pieces include the snake chair featuring a built in draft excluder that looked as if it could come to life any minute. She also showed her wedge racers that double up as as door wedge and cute wooden toy car. Gitta’s work always seems alive to me as if she wants to give the objects life, personality and a big sense of humour. Neil Austin’s piece called “procession” was a pure feast for the obsessive collector. Neil curated a small part of his plastic collection in an extended never ending bottom draw that came out of existing Georgian piece of furniture in the house. A wonderful coloured plastic treat for the eyes. My fella who came along to the private view is getting very near the obsessive point lately. He has a thing about retro glass and china, got to keep an eye on him! The PM Gallery is in West Ealing, a lovely gentle setting very near to good old marvellous Ealing Studios that sadly that look as if they have been turned into posh flats. Let’s be thankful Pitzhanger Manor House is still a house with a galley and a great space to show new work. Recommend this as a free arty autumn Saturday treat.

Bottom Drawers 12th September – 25th October

www.ealing.gov.uk/pmgalleryandhouse

www.carlclerkin.co.uk