Charlie Hammond

the blending of childlike<br/>innocence and the corruption of knowledge adds a biblical edge to the work

Article by Morag Keil | 12 Mar 2007

Charlie Hammond's solo show at Sorcha Dallas plays with the aesthetics of
high art, mocking it with a childlike playfulness and a knowing morbidity. Hammond is a Glasgow School of Art graduate, who is exhibiting at The
Armory Show, New York this year. His work shows a diversity of interests
and influences as well as a talent in manipulating his materials, sometimes
referring to and using techniques taught to children. This can be seen in
Filmmaker (macaroni style) - which is oil on canvas but painted in a curly
freehand style, mimicking the shapes of pasta - and Sculpture with their
Head Kick In (blue) - a ceramic head sculpted using children's footprints.

The end result, whilst harking back to the familiarity of childhood
experiences, has a harshness that comes only with the knowledge of age. The
references run thick through the work, and the blending of childlike
innocence and the corruption of knowledge adds a biblical edge to the work,
in addition to discussing the acceptance of responsibility for actions: "When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child. When I became a man, I put away childish things." (Paul, Corinthians 13, 11). Hammond's work is aesthetically intriguing - there is a
great deal of sinister humour here, creating a paradox of sophistication and naivety. Both these elements are strengthened by his knowledge of the tools he uses.

Sorcha Dallas, Glasgow until March 3. Free.