Light, Sound: Built

Organic meets the immaculate in Richard Reddaway's new exhibition, 'Light, Sound: Built', the artist's first show at Jonathan Smart Gallery for nine years. Immaculate is the rimu veneer on the hand-made speakers in Unresolved Music Part 1, their clean rectilinear forms presented as clusters of the modular. This is a modernism that grows over as well as out from the wall. But while organic, it also exudes measure, utter control and restraint. That is, until one hears the sound. The crisp dripping of water feels in step. Sonically, its ripple and bounce around the space echo Reddaway's sculpted forms. But the shrill whistling and tribal chanting of young men watching rugby is unexpected - a layering of the sporting other brought in as surprise, as excess even - as something right over-the-top.

Immaculate too and similarly lush, are the sewn Swanndri bushshirts in Built (Soft Sound). Stuffed with softness and sound, this work hangs from the wall and spreads, or clambers, across the floor. These fabric extrusions look almost poured and globular - Guston-like in figuration. For this work is certainly haunted by the figure; interesting, given Reddaway's very successful work of the late 80's & early 90's where he applied various material skins ( broken crockery, records, shells) to the wooden framing of stacked or repeated stick-figures. In many ways then, 'Light, Sound: Built' sees Reddaway in a significant return to form!