Lauren Gault @ Tramway, until 24 February

The title’s reference to ensilage may conjure images of coarse, rugged agriculture, but Gault’s show in Tramway 5 is exquisitely sleek, pristine and composed. Brought from a farm and placed in this new context, four enormous ensilage bales become peaceful monoliths forming the backbone of an installation composed of multiple, complex parts. 

Surrounding the bales are green ceramic locks of hair, sail-like swathes of Turin Shroud-esque fabric, triangular opalescent glazed ceramics and resin cast floor pieces. There’s a lot going on here, and within this one installation Gault develops her research in everything from The Lewis Chessmen (12th Century chess set discovered on the isle) to Victorian mourning jewellery, and the application of pressure as a treatment for autism. Seemingly tying it all together is a careful examination of methods that considers in depth the processes of wrapping, enclosing and containing. 

A by-product of this is a particularly fascinating exploration of the material consequences present in the work. Every object here exhibits what is referred to as ‘structural colour’ – a colour that is present because of material factors, and not the creation of the artist’s hand. The layers of clear wrapping that encase the bales build up a barely discernible calm green colour. The white resin pieces are sanded back to reveal an unexpected pink, with the pattern of marble. 

In a happy coincidence – or perhaps a clever pairing – the sweetness of the resultant pastel colours mirrors the ‘sweetness’ of the fermenting bales.  Considering the variety of processes and theories that underpins this work, the outcome seems entirely comprehensible, if not straightforward. The pieces all gel together to form a strong show that really holds its own, making a solid visual statement while allowing the viewer the opportunity to explore for themselves the more intricate details beneath. [Emma Ewan]