Walking along the beach front yesterday, I passed Graaf's pool. It was freezing and rainy and this sad old structure, rich in history and dirt crouched there, with that dignity that old ruins have. I realised I hadn't yet put pen to paper regarding Justin Brett's show, which focussed largely on Graaf's Pool as a structure and it's implicit and explicit histories (Graaf's Pool was for many years a homosexual cruising spot as well as a site of geological disturbance). It's a bit late now... the show is over, but I did want to make one or two points.

1. It's been a while since I have seen such a convincing use of space and sculpture to communicate a message. The tension between the seen and unseen was loudly and beautifully said. Rifts, violence, supression, revelation these words come to mind



2. It seemed there was a further tension between neatness and messiness. A messy history was represented by clean architectural sculpture. Desire was represented by clean boys. Clean boys were obscured by messy surface. Tension is good, it's like plot. However, I felt in the end there was a certain cleansing of desire; no willies, no pubic hair. Idealisation can be a way of building myths, but it also can also easily be cold and turn sex which is something messy and visceral into something academic. Objectification, the gaze, these words come to mind.


3. There was a certain awareness of this dillemma, the boys were constantly erased and scratched out. They were also practically sold out. Because they were still beautiful. So, another tension.


4. I liked the sculptural elements which spoke. I liked the low lighting, the grey walls and the re-use of the AVA. I wasn't as sure about the drawings/paintings which mumbled elegantly. But as a whole, one of the most succesful and intense shows this year, and probably for a while.


5. I found this hot picture of the artist as a young man on Facebook.