A Corking Show

The crypt at St Pancras church is a wonderful space, next to the roaring Euston Road is a piece of architecture from a quieter time. At the edge of the West End at the traditionally recognised border of real London and the ancient suburbs sits the church. Underneath the church are the vaulted brick arches of the crypt, the large cavernous expanse is cool and slightly dusty and perfect respite from the hot, sweaty rush hour Friday night traffic.

And this is the site for Mr Corking and Katsunobu Yaguchi’s current exhibition “Futari-Melten”. Amongst the subtly lit arches and rooms of the crypt sit sculptures incorporating corks. Several quiet, subtle paintings can be seen, all painted with wine, prints of the ‘corking’ project appropriate Warhol’s Campbells soup, they are dotted around on pieces of clothing and collaged cardboard and a suit with wine brandings printed on them is hanging up.
The sculptures are a variety of poetic situations all incorporating corks. A map of the United States references globalisation and its effect on the cork industry, A prone Mr Corking lies on a bed of corks, but hold on didn’t I see him outside in the grounds of the church showing his cork shoes to a visitor of the exhibition?.
Corks pour out of a wine bottle into a puddle on the floor and somewhere else a lone cork sits in isolation under the gaze of a large anglepoise lamp.
Many other pieces are dotted about the building but in all cases the strange combination of melancholy and whimsy permeate the works.

Yaguchi and Mr Corking have created a wonderful show, they embrace the architecture of the crypt, the building rewards the art by complementing it perfectly