Jonathan Baldock: Solo Exhibition at Arnolfini
Next summer, Jonathan Baldock presents a new commission at the Arnolfini, channelling his long-held interest in myth and folklore. The new installation takes inspiration from Michel Pastoureau’s historical study The Bear: History of a Fallen King, exploring the symbolic life of the bear from ancient forest deity to children’s bedtime companion. Deeply rooted in traditional craft techniques, Baldock’s practice often works with natural materials such as clay and textiles, imbuing the work with a tactile familiarity.
Saturated with humour and wit, Baldock works across multiple platforms including sculpture, installation and performance, with work often taking on a biographical form, addressing the mortality, sensuiality, spirituality, stress and trauma around our relationship to the body and the space it inhabits. Working in a performative manner, his exhibition at Arnolfini builds upon recent projects at Jupiter Artland and Yorkshire Sculpture Park, encompassing multiple senses, such as scent, sight, sound and touch.
