Bridget Smith works within the documentary genre but she photographs places of fantasy and escapism. She is interested in the places where people go to seek refuge from the outside world: to escape boredom, to be diverted, transported, absorbed – places where fantasy and reality are often confused. Her cinema series consist of photographs of illuminated – but firmly closed – curtains in empty theatres. Screen One presents an underlit curtain that appears to glow with anticipation. The peach-toned light picks up up the ripples in the curtain and the curves, grids and lines that frame the stage. Formalism and drama are both at play in these silent empty spaces.
BRIDGET SMITH (British, 1966)
C-type print on aluminium
183 x 183cm
Acquired in 2011
