Pantomime

"Look I never throw away the milk so I don’t know what you’re talking about..."

It’s hard to define what is so captivating about Rudolph Lindo’s work.  His drawings depict people at a particular point in time, but the bold, simple pen lines also seem to capture something about their essential character.

In the same way, the enigmatic words they express in speech and thought bubbles seem to be addressing very specific concerns and feelings, while suggesting something about the person’s wider situation. There is a focus on numbers – whether ages, heights, percentages, or amounts of money.

The people often appear to be in conversation with someone (but we don’t know who), and are sometimes in the midst of some petty dispute.  One, for example, says “Look I never throw away the milk so I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’m 24 I am not 10.  All right cool.”

These works remind us of the way that seemingly trivial arguments or thoughts can be a reflection of larger issues.  The words can be both amusing and moving.  One says “I look like the 70s, but I’m 28, 28 – got white boots, no one knew me yeah.”  Beside her is written “30% mutch nicer”.

Another says: “I were a little girl before but now I’m a big woman. I’m only 5’8 and I’m 38 and I got £3.50”.  And another, wearing a turban, says: “I notice it.  I’m 32 and I’m a boy. I am 5’10. I run to you.”

Seeing these people, we want to know more about them – who they are and why they are, and why they are saying or thinking what they do.  But we can only guess.

Rudolph Lindo brings a distinct perspective to ideas of communication, language, and defining a person.  He explains that much of his work depicts friends or people he has known in the past – one, for example, is his old teacher.  But in general, he prefers to let the drawings speak for themselves.

Hackney artist Rudolph Lindo

Rudolph Lindo is excited about his upcoming retrospective exhibition at Core Arts, which begins on 2 December.  He hopes it will help his work gain a wider audience, which it certainly deserves.

Pantomime
2 December 2010 to 27 January 2011

Core Arts
109 Homerton High Street
E9 6DL

Tel: 020 8533 3500
Email: mail@corearts.co.uk