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Nathan Coley (2006)

'Nathan Coley'
May - 30 September 2006

Nathan Coley exhibits an illuminated sculpture within the 18th Century landscaped parkland next to the spectacular Victorian gothic house, Mount Stuart. Reached by walking through the trees into a grass avenue, the emotive nature of the work has a magical and theatrical quality and takes ownership of the space in which it is located.

Within Mount Stuart's Visitor Centre Gallery, Coley presents three new works referencing physical sites of the main religions of the world: Christianity, Judaism and Islam. These are objects that are trying to deny their visibility and disguise their form, using the appropriated language of 'Dazzle' painting or wartime camouflage, and are read against the backdrop of a wall painting.

Coley has chosen an object from the historical collection, previously unseen, to be exhibited within the house. The story of this object pushes the discussion back and forward in time, as well as asking questions of the present. The intervention is understated and poignant, and is a final gesture in Coley's elegant essay about visibility and invisibility.

The exhibition highlights the space and interaction between all three presentations, and the areas where they overlap, collide or contradict – this is the area that the audience occupies. The work continues the development of Coley's exploration of architecture, symbolism, religious and political ideologies, faith, heart and reason.

An artist's book, with text by Andrea Schlieker, is available from the Mount Stuart Gift Shop. Price £14.50

Other previously commissioned artists