https://www.halcyongallery.com/exhibitions/lorenzo-quinn-actions-not-words

During reading week, I went to visit the “Lorenzo Quinn, Actions Not Words” exhibition which was held at the Halcyon gallery in London. I had never come across Quinn’s work before; however, I was intrigued by his simplistic yet extremely symbolic sculptural pieces. Quinn had created a number of bronze and stainless-steel sculptures, illustrating hands in various positions and holding symbolic items such as a slingshot and the infinity sign, ‘to represent his dream and hope for love, support and protection amongst humanity’. I believe that he has selected these materials in order to create a rich and powerful symbol, allowing him to emphasise his powerful ideology that “It’s what we do in life that defines us not what we say. Love moves worlds and saying I love you is special but acting upon it is everlasting”.

When walking into the gallery, you are greeted by his large-scale sculpture of two hands stretching and aiming a slingshot, and as you walk around the gallery you are led through a maze of smaller dimmed rooms with smaller sculptures of the infinity sign and peoples’ bodies in the shape of love hearts. The fact he selected dimmed rooms with one spot light on his sculpture in an empty room, makes the audience fascinated by the visual simplicity of the gleaming bronze but also makes them question the deeper meaning of what this specific sculpture is representing.

I find Quinn’s work so powerful because next to each of his sculptures he writes a short description of his views of love and humanity’s love towards earth, he only writes a few sentences but they are bold and come across as emotive, allowing the audience to connect to his work in an emotional way as well.

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