Drift Point
Nathaniel Rackowe x Saint Laurent
Drift Point is a new series of sculptures commissioned by Saint Laurent, exhibited in major cites across the world.
The title refers to the moment where function, aesthetics and meaning seem to separate and flow together in new ways. I am constantly investigating and interrogating this moment, as I move through the city. Buildings, landscape, the built and the natural; I see them layer and combine. I seek moments of transcendental beauty that belie their raw and fundamental materiality. Light becomes a driving force for this transformation, as it turns the familiar and recognisable into unexpected vistas that force a reconsideration of space, and of self. The Drift Point therefore becomes an event horizon, an irreversible moment, the pivot used to glean meaning from the spaces that shape us.
These new works use three fundamental materials: Aluminium, glass, and bitumen. These materials both belong to the earth, and to the city.
Raw aluminium square tubes are cut, angled and stacked, the complexity and deliberate order create echos to architectural form, while their size and scale root them in their relationship to the figure. At certain angles these stacks appear solid and impenetrable, and other they become light and transparent, allowing sight through the hollow sections. As people pass by either side, a shifting silhouette becomes visible. Constant moment is needed to understand the works, both when viewed from the street, and even more so from within the boutiques.
A layer of bitumen becomes the material that binds the structure together, its inky blackness contrasting to the silvery reflective aluminium. Drips of bitumen spill over, layering an organic softness that balances the hard edges of the aluminium geometry.
And around all this: light. Light is a fundament part of this artwork. It is both form and illumination. It is the element that causes the elevation and transformation of materials and structure. The cube of light will be in cool white neon, defining the perimeter of the artwork. The light will reflect in the aluminium and glossy bitumen, further accentuating their contrasting qualities.