Reiach and Hall’s new warehouse space at Edinburgh’s Fruitmarket Gallery strikes a gloomy and imposing note. A cavern of exposed girders and brickwork two storeys high foregoes the whitewashed neutrality of the typical 21st century gallery. The site, therefore, requires creative intervention on a grand and bold scale, which has been found in Jyll Bradley’s Pardes, a set of diagonal shafts of neon plastic suspended from the floor to the upper walls across the length of the room, with machine-cut “live edges” designed to trap and concentrate light, giving the whole form a sharp fluorescent outline.
The word “pardes” comes from an ancient word for orchard or garden, at the root of the word “paradise.” Suitably enough, the sculpture is a space for rest, recuperation and inspiration. Over the next few months, the structure will play host to a number of performances and film screenings. The heritage of the work is minimalist, but Bradley’s investment in metaphor and memory brings an unusual degree of human warmth and narrative complexity to that style. The wooden beams, which support the counterpointed panels of grey and green Perspex, are reminiscent of DIY horticulture, just as previous outdoor works by the artist have mimicked the appearance of hop gardens or “espalier” trellising.
In many cases, Bradley’s pieces speak to memories of a childhood spent in Kent, the so-called “Garden of England.” However, this installation takes inspiration from structures developed by Scottish farmers and cottage gardeners: projects built to withstand extreme, northerly weather, from vertical rain to thick mists. In particular, the “lean-to” design responds to Scottish fruit farmers’ use of angled forms to train their crops up heat-retaining brick walls. Fruitmarket’s former use as a grocer’s market makes this new piece a fitting tribute. It’s possible to imagine yourself in some distant, sun- drenched grove as you walk around this compelling piece, a particularly welcome effect in the dark Scottish winter.
Fruitmarket, Edinburgh | 27 November – 18 April
Words: Greg Thomas
Image Credits:
1. Jyll Bradley, GreenLight, day, 3, Thierry Bal.
2. Jyll Bradley, Pardes
