Edward Rollitt: To Dwell in Dust

12 Sep-26 Oct 2024

The Reverend Lovelace Bigg-Wither, 2024, C-type print. Credit: Edward Rollitt

Overview

New Art Projects is delighted to present 'To Dwell in Dust', the first solo show by British Artist Edward Rollitt, who will present a new series of large-scale photographs, sculptures, and installations.

Working from an old agricultural barn in the Hampshire countryside, Rollitt’s practice is concerned with themes of objecthood, material history and characterisation. His new body of work is made up of a series of containers or constructed rooms that are fictitious, historically-inspired spaces. Constructed to scale, these containers observe both the psychology and atmosphere of space – the memory, emotion, and sensations that perpetuate amongst layers of dust, dirt and grime. Working with an evolving collection of antiques, Rollitt exploits the material history of these objects to enhance the legitimacy of his interiors; subsequently, these fictional spaces create the context for the character who lives or has lived within. A broken glass, a dishevelled bed, a burnt cloak: all act as signifiers of a life lived. A definitive narrative, however, is obstructed by the artist’s modification of these objects. Chair legs are burnt, cabinets dissected and reassembled, doors bashed in. The alteration of objects enhances the narrative intrigue and adds to the uncanny atmosphere of these environments.