Thinking in Circles is a celebration of Gabriel Orozco’s internationally acclaimed work and this exhibition, expertly curated by Briony Fer, is a great credit to Orozco’s highly influential art. Using one work, The Eye of GO (2005) as a catalyst for the entire exhibition, Thinking in Circles has a unique, conceptual aim. Orozco does not wish to think about his art, but to think through it.
Playful but obsessive by its nature, it appears that Orozco really has achieved this aim, developing his use of one shape to create an impressive range of works. Logical patterns can be detected in what can sometimes seem like clinical, numerical paintings, but the persistent use of circular shapes also means that his art obtains more and more energy. In some works this creates an unavoidable sense of intrigue – I counted 19 large, black ovals because I simply felt I had to – and in others it even manages to shock: a blue, measured pattern placed carefully over a skull somehow makes the image appear positively lively, for instance, and not even in an uncanny manner.
Orozco’s thought processes also become increasingly evident across this exhibition. Whilst some pieces - such as the newspaper which is effectively defaced by circles and the works that resemble graphs - are much more impersonal, Orozco also includes objects which have personal significance to him. Circles are imprinted on old envelopes sent to his Paris address and they also blight photographs of tranquil landscapes. The ‘GO’ in The Eye of GO stands for his own initials and it is almost impossible to avoid trying to connect each work to another, considering the machinations of Orozco’s mind.
A playful presence of mind can also be felt through Orozco’s intelligent use of colour. It is used so sparingly amongst works in this exhibition that any coloured circles are a brilliant relief, whether bright yellow or blue. Small, untitled multi-coloured works also make deeply intense black and white prints slightly less profound. As skilful on black granite from his native Mexico as he is on paper, however, the existence of an ever-searching, ever-yearning thought process can still be felt across the whole exhibition. Some of Orozco’s work carries much more overt messages than others, but he really is thinking with shapes in every single piece, ensuring that every complete circle never fails to carry meaning.
