No juice about it
No juice about it is reminiscent of a shop window that has been fitted out in anticipation of the summer season. A section of bamboo fencing supports a lei, a hat, and a patchwork quilt. On the floor, an anthropomorphic decorative pineapple is wearing sunglasses. These objects are used here as ready-mades, echoes of images that have become clichés of consumer society, but, in fact, this is a trompe-l’oeil. The fencing and the pineapple are not found and reappropriated objects, but sculptures made by the artist from metallic materials: monochrome aluminium and steel. The coldness of steel replaces the warmth of bamboo wood. The smooth aluminium contrasts with the spikiness of pineapple skin. These transformations are a reminder that the digital world profoundly alters our perception. The combination of these diverse materials is in keeping with the rest of Helen Marten’s work: it creates a certain mystery, but always with a touch of humour.
Text written by Audrey Pellerin as part of the partnership between the École du Louvre and Lafayette Anticipations – Fonds de dotation Famille Moulin.