Luke Routledge : Strange Matter

2 Oct-12 Dec 2020

Overview

‘Strange Matter’ is the first introduction into the constructed universe of Birmingham based artist Luke Routledge. A meeting of absurd figurative sculptures map out the beginnings of an invented folklore – a sculptural invitation to explore the territory of another society. The title of the exhibition, ‘Strange Matter‘, is a term borrowed from particle physics. Proposed to be created inside neutron stars, strange matter is formed within the remains of collapsed giant stars. It is hypothesised that it could either be the most stable matter in the universe, capable of teaching us how the universe first began or it could infect everything it comes into contact with, converting all ordinary matter in its path into strange matter. Routledge’s works draw upon myriad references to assemble a cast of inhabitants within a possible world. Brought to life by moving animatronic elements the figures weave an ambiguous narrative, caught somewhere between sense and nonsense.