Angela de la Cruz's Upright: A Testament to Resilience Through Broken Art
In a quiet and sparse exhibition at Birmingham's Ikon gallery, Spanish artist Angela de la Cruz presents her first UK solo show outside London, titled Upright. Despite being nominated for the Turner prize in 2010 and recognized as one of the country's leading art figures, this marks a significant milestone in her career. The showcase features a collection of artworks that appear crumpled, broken, and on the verge of collapse, yet they are meticulously repaired and propped back up, serving as powerful metaphors for resilience and recovery.
Artworks That Defy Collapse
Upon entering the exhibition, visitors encounter a black-painted canvas wrapped around an old two-legged table, once owned by Guardian art critic Adrian Searle. Adjacent to it, a painting in thick, brown gunk—a fecal monochrome—has its bottom corner snapped off but is gaffer-taped back on, wedged upright to stand. These pieces, along with others, are not merely on the brink of failure; they have already collapsed and been resurrected. De la Cruz's oeuvre includes folded canvases, barely assembled junk sculptures, and objects that seem ready to disintegrate, yet they are all mended into functional forms.
Personal Struggles Reflected in Art
De la Cruz's own life story deeply informs her work. After suffering a disabling stroke that left her unable to walk and reliant on a wheelchair, her body, much like her art, has been patched and bodged together to continue functioning. This personal adversity is mirrored in pieces such as a white plinth balanced on a white leather sofa, a wobbly three-legged chair perched on a stool, and a red painting teetering on top of another collapsed canvas. Each artwork embodies the theme of repairing the seemingly irreparable and persevering despite challenges.
Collaborative and Conceptual Depth
A highlight of the exhibition is a double upright piano created in collaboration with the Birmingham Royal Ballet for a performance of The Nutcracker. This piece, with one piano whacked on top of another to allow standing play, draws parallels to the nutcracker doll's breaking and fixing, as well as ballet dancers' snapped pointe shoes. While the piano works effectively as a sculpture, its performance aspect—requiring a pianist to stand—may not feel radically limiting, but it transforms the show's atmosphere, evoking a cast of broken ballerinas still twirling and plié-ing.
Emotional and Humorous Undertones
Despite relying on modernist tropes like monochromes and minimalism, which can give a formal and cold surface impression, de la Cruz's art is anything but emotionally distant. These works are infused with humor and frustration, such as paintings angrily smashed to reflect bodily destruction and then hastily repaired as tempers cooled. They are deeply frail and human, telling a compelling story of strength in adversity. The message is clear: no matter how hard you fall, you must get back up, even if limping or hobbled, and keep moving forward.
Angela de la Cruz: Upright is on display at Ikon, Birmingham, from 25 March to 6 September, offering a poignant exploration of resilience through art that challenges perceptions of brokenness and repair.
