New Work Scotland 09: Rachel Adams

Stepping into the gallery space at the Collective is much more like setting foot into an extremely contemporary living room than the white cube, empty gallery environment one would expect. The anticipated white walls remain, yet the work of Rachel Adams transforms the space, mixing notions of design with sculpture in a playful manner, to create a homely domestic environment.

The works, which include a lamp, rug and footstool, are formed through the process of painting and shredding common materials, such as paper. As a result of moulding and manipulating, the items are transformed from two dimensions into three dimensional objects, breathing new life and significance into each piece. The use and importance of line appears important in all her work, but perhaps most notably in the emulation of the rug, which is created from a variety of lines on the floor. The use of line is not confined to sculptural formations of domestic furniture, as Adams has also created an accompanying animated film. The animation is a tracing of David Bowie's mouth throughout the entirety of the Life on Mars video.

Each formation within the exhibition expresses notions of domesticity meddled with ideas of 70s glamour, and yet simultaneously they suggest ideas of the future, in keeping with the futuristic theme of the Life on Mars video. Although all the work hints at glamour design, it lacks functionality, which is disappointing, as it would be all too easy to perch upon the footstool and waste away hours mesmerised by the animation of Bowies mouth.