John Hurrell – 27 October, 2024

Aggression and rage seem the dominant themes in this van Hout presentation of eight highly ‘expressive’ freestanding figure sculptures, presented with two videos and four flat-wall Doorway portal works. They are demonic in mood; fever pitch emotion going crazy. From their gestures and expressions we can also detect withdrawal, depression, despair, boredom and even states of mindless ‘zombie’ sleepwalking.

Van Hout’s title is eschatological, alluding to Christ’s anticipated return, and the alleged coming Day of Judgement when the re-energised dead will spring out of their graves. Many of them are naked young brats running around frantically waving clubs or rocks. No adults are present; one athletic person even swims by, exhaling bubbles—once depressed (sobbing against the wall) but now energised.

The title for The Second Coming is not really evident in the sculpture; except for one particularly evil-looking babythug (Jesus?) holding up a massive skull-crushing rock. With his terror-ridden imagery (and not so much his title) the artist seems to be commenting on the pessimistic times we are living in, the popularity of certain hideous political cults, and the pervading sense of global hopelessness and impending waves of violence.

All present on the gallery floor are pitiful, loathsome or menacing. There is no uplifting positivity here, or admirable intervening personalities: it is all extremely dire, with their facial expressions amazingly intense in their anxiety.

And the setting is physically claustrophobic too. Though one freestanding rectangular-framed artwork (like a green guillotine) is a windowlike escape hatch through which agile gallery visitors can mentally clamber to flee the ubiquitous horror of involvement. Perhaps to get away from their own complicity as ambivalent viewers and participatory art objects. Shaking off all artworld connections; yet wanting to stay.

John Hurrell

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