Cones of
Possibilities
& Impossibilities

Although it may sometimes seem that the work is done because of certain circumstances, mostly (in my case) it is done in spite of them.

Working since the 1960s, Pauline Rhodes’ sculptural practice negotiates the specific qualities of various sites, materials and processes as an open and ongoing series of work. Simple, portable structures momentarily placed within the landscape call attention to the surrounding environment and the relationship between self and location. These ephemeral interventions that Rhodes regularly conducts – extensums – are concerned with duration and transience, states of flux. Her practice also includes indoor installations in cultural situations – intensums – that summarise and communicate the vitality of temporal activity, running parallel to and in dialogue with the transitory outdoor placements. There is a consistent correlation between these two aspects, a connection of nature with culture, action and reflection, though always prioritising experience over documentation. Founded on dynamic movement, the flow of a body through space and time, Rhodes’ work acknowledges the instability of the land and the contingency of our relationship to it, constantly drawing attention to context, here and now.