Reiach and Hall鈥檚 new warehouse space at Edinburgh鈥檚 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鈥檚 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 鈥渓ive edges鈥 designed to trap and concentrate light, giving the whole form a sharp fluorescent outline.
The word 鈥減ardes鈥 comes from an ancient word for orchard or garden, at the root of the word 鈥減aradise.鈥 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鈥檚 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 鈥渆spalier鈥 trellising.
In many cases, Bradley’s pieces speak to memories of a childhood spent in Kent, the so-called 鈥淕arden of England.鈥 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 鈥渓ean-to鈥 design responds to Scottish fruit farmers鈥 use of angled forms to train their crops up heat-retaining brick walls. Fruitmarket鈥檚 former use as a grocer鈥檚 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
