Precision. Square tubular steel carefully cut, welded with joints finished so as to be invisible, then painted a smooth semi-gloss silver. The effect is one of a continuous Escher-like line that has been lifted off the paper to become 3D puzzlements of pure precision.
Dolman's folded steel squares and rectangles present as formal measured patterns that delight and intrigue. Combo and Probe are standing rectangles of woven steel that has us holding a finger on one spot as we trace a path in search of the start. And Twister converts the gentle curves of a vertical spiral into rigid right-angled corners. This tightening up of the turns creates even more tension then that of the most compact of springs.
As I walked around the sculpted mazes they offered precision viewing from every angle. I noticed how their bevelled edges reflected the hue of my blouse and added a pink line to the monochrome structures. This interaction suggests how the works can integrate with their surrounding and adjust to any setting.
The 'boxiness' of the material and constructions work best in the standing exhibits. However Dolman's wall pieces have a different fascination as we travel the metal with the eye rather than the hand. Steel Tracks is a series of five, each a different linear pattern contained within a square perimeter. We follow the path through the mazes but somewhere along the way we're not sure if we are walking on the solid areas or the spaces between the metal. Steel Litter is another series of five wall pieces only this time they are all alike, albeit each hand fabricated. This collection brings to mind a line drawing of a cityscape where all the buildings are much of a muchness yet each is individually constructed.
At first the exhibition seems cool and formal, difficult to approach.
However if you relax and feel confident with the precision of the
flow of metal you'll be well rewarded by the experience. It's nice to know
in a world of toy makers, there are still some sculptors who can and do
use the mind as well as the hand.