Jyll Bradley
Pardes | The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, 2021
Fluorescent green Plexiglas, mirrored Plexiglas, wood
16m (L) x 6.5m (H) x 8m (W)
Courtesy of the Artist
Pardes is both a sculpture and a place. It is my first for a dark light space, here, a restored former fruit warehouse. Pardes is the ancient name for an...
Pardes is both a sculpture and a place. It is my first for a dark light space, here, a restored former fruit warehouse. Pardes is the ancient name for an orchard or walled garden and has evolved from my research into the growing cultures and landscapes of Scotland – the ‘leaning’, geometric nature of growth and planting expressed through the slopes of the Clydesdale Valley and Newburgh where orchard culture flourished, as well as historic glasshouses. From this I have grafted an abstract, minimalist work pared back in lockdown to its core essentials, mirroring my own questions during this time of ‘what really matters.’ Pardes flies through the warehouse from ceiling to floor, its live-edge Plexiglas gathering available light and pushing it to the edges to make a gloaming work, literally and metaphorically holding the space. Echoing the ancient uses of gardens, Pardes transforms from a place for contemplation to one of gathering and others creation. Over its life the work will host riotous club nights, new performance art, film screenings and more. I am interested in the generative nature of minimalism, paring something back can open up conversation and meaning.