Toby Paterson

"From the overlapping cement blocks of a Le Corbusier high-rise to the angular dimensions of a 1960s depot, Paterson reveals the intrinsic failure of modernism: that only when isolated can its products' true beauty be experienced. The result also reminds us of the social beliefs that originally underpinned all those Brutalist housing estates, cement pavilions and dingy underpasses, ideals that had been lost amid a bitter aesthetic controversy." - Jessica Lack, The Guardian, March 2009

Well I could have told you that...

Went to see the Toby Paterson exhibition at the Fruitmarket Gallery today and my first thought was that I might as well chop my hands off and never make anything ever again. I felt as if I was looking at all my ideas executed in a way that is better than I could ever do and I was so incredibly frustrated that as I walked around the space I couldn't help swearing under my breath. However, as I've started to read up about his work, it's becoming less frustrating and more inspiring. Paterson's work is a celebration of the form and line within post-war architecture. He transforms imposing concrete blocks into the weightless utopias they were intended to be, which is such a positive thing for me to see because that's what I've been trying to do with my work. The colours, the layout and the materials Paterson uses work perfectly together to 'resemble walking through a city, with images coming unexpectedly into view'. The books on display and the talks coming up at the gallery will be so useful for the research part of my practice. To sum up, I love this show. I'm going back tomorrow. And i'm buying the exhibition catalogue. But I'm still ridiculously jealous.