Freeform

Freeform was a show about painting the air. Negative space is defined by the solid objects around it, and for Ray Haydon that is the part of sculpture that really matters: he uses his materials to build constructions in space, where the voids count as much as the forms.

Look at one of these works and you’re looking at two things: the material itself, and the air it shapes. The solid line draws the void. That’s what Ray means by painting the air — the sculpture isn’t only the bent timber or the carbon fibre, it’s the space the line leaves behind, and the way that space changes as you move.

The show was built around the ribbon wall works: the Convolution series in carbon fibre with walnut veneer, resin and iron-oxide finishes, alongside new Velocity, Manoeuvre and Helix pieces. It also included Molten, a bronze, and Oscillate, a carbon fibre kinetic work spanning 3.6 metres.