Robert Polidori at Flowers East

Let me start out by saying that Flowers East is one of my favorite gallery spaces in London. Set over two floors, the space is large and airy, with copious amounts of wall space to showcase the artwork. The staff is consistently friendly and helpful, which LAG always appreciates while gallery hopping. If you haven’t visited the space yet, I highly recommend that you swing by on your next outing to the east end. Now let’s get to the artwork.

Currently showing at Flowers East is an exhibition of Robert Polidori's photographs of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. What I first noticed in the large, richly colored photographs was the amazing light that Polidori is able to capture. The pictures are beautiful despite the devastation that they display. Devoid of any human figures, each work contributes to a larger narrative of loss and destruction. We see paint peeling off walls, refrigerators on their side, cars overturned, and personal belongings covered in dirt and mold. All completely destroyed. Polidori shows the viewer a ghost town comprised of loss and ruin. We are left with traces of a life that no longer exists as it once did before the hurricane.

Polidori's images are surreal. Is this due to the artist’s exquisite skill or the strong desire for the images not to be real? For me, I think it is a little bit of both. Check out Robert Polidari at Flowers East until 12 November 2006. www.flowerseast.com