I struggle with the RA as a setting for some contemporary art as it can feel constricted and the stucco plasterwork and marble doorways at odds with the work it presents. However, Gormley used the space to great effect, most particularly with Clearing VII, where you are asked to navigate a drawing space, the massive wire coils constricted by their environment and the monumental Matric III which hangs oppresive in the space above. Similarly striking are the Cave and the primordal mud of Host, an artwork that hasn't been seen in the UK before. In other rooms though, the work can feel crowded out and easy to miss in the melee of people and multiple sculptures, maybe timing a visit with care is the key to avoid this. I love drawing and I'm always fascinated to see an artists working sketchbooks. It is interesting to understand how their minds work and how the work translates from paper to outcome and these don't disappoint, less so the larger drawings which surround the walls. Altogether, a broad and reflective collection of Gormleys work; there are some monumental moments at the exhibition and equally some where you can only laugh and say 'really he did that!' but all in all well worth a visit.
Updated: Jan 22, 2020
