Robert Therrien at Parasol unit

Robert Therrien: Works 1975-1995
at Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art
Until 11th December 2016

If Robert Therrien’s work has you thinking of furniture scaled-up for giants, like the American sculptor’s massively oversized table and chairs that an adult can walk under; then this exhibition of his work at London’s Parasol unit may come as something of a surprise, albeit a pleasant one.

The works in this show predate Therrien’s forays into supersizing dining sets and come from a twenty-year period starting in 1975. The warmth and gentle humour that characterises so much of the sculptor’s work is well established by this time in his career. The shapes are unquestionably simple – Therrien’s cloud sculpture is like a child’s drawing of a big black raincloud and the three spheres diminishing in size make a instantly recognisable snowman outline. But the reductive modelling is neither simplistic nor superficial.

There is inherent charm in Therrien’s work and this has been enhanced by the way Therrien’s sculptures have been positioned in the Parasol unit’s space. The cloud which hangs in the upstairs gallery has four big taps attached and below in the lower gallery Therrien’s giant raindrops are found falling down the wall. The tiny two-inch-high keyhole sculpture is placed alongside the huge black Dutch door swinging open into the gallery. Ah, and there it is, Therrien’s predilection for supersizing is there after all – that is one big door.