Uncaptioned image from Vague Poetics by Carolyn Thompson at Matt’s Gallery
Uncaptioned image from Vague Poetics by Carolyn Thompson at Matt’s Gallery
Uncaptioned image from Vague Poetics by Carolyn Thompson at Matt’s Gallery
Uncaptioned image from Vague Poetics by Carolyn Thompson at Matt’s Gallery
Uncaptioned image from Vague Poetics by Carolyn Thompson at Matt’s Gallery
Uncaptioned image from Vague Poetics by Carolyn Thompson at Matt’s Gallery
Uncaptioned image from Vague Poetics by Carolyn Thompson at Matt’s Gallery
Uncaptioned image from Vague Poetics by Carolyn Thompson at Matt’s Gallery
Uncaptioned image from Vague Poetics by Carolyn Thompson at Matt’s Gallery
Uncaptioned image from Vague Poetics by Carolyn Thompson at Matt’s Gallery
Uncaptioned image from Vague Poetics by Carolyn Thompson at Matt’s Gallery
Uncaptioned image from Vague Poetics by Carolyn Thompson at Matt’s Gallery
Uncaptioned image from Vague Poetics by Carolyn Thompson at Matt’s Gallery
Uncaptioned image from Vague Poetics by Carolyn Thompson at Matt’s Gallery
Uncaptioned image from Vague Poetics by Carolyn Thompson at Matt’s Gallery
Uncaptioned image from Vague Poetics by Carolyn Thompson at Matt’s Gallery
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Carolyn Thompson

Vague Poetics

15 March – 16 April 2023

Outset Archive on the Mezzanine at Matt’s Gallery

Vague Poetics is a new body of work by Carolyn Thompson. The project comprises a new video work on MattFlix and a physical exhibition of the same name, centred around a new whitebook publication.

Vague Poetics is created from and in response to text found within the first 40 Matt’s Gallery whitebooks that were published to accompany exhibitions produced at the gallery from 1983 to 2019. During this time, the gallery was located at Martello Street E8 3PE, Copperfield Road E3 4RR, Decima Street SE1 4QR and Webster Road SE16 4DF.

The narrative of Vague Poetics is compiled from words and sentences lifted from the booklets while the on-screen text describes the source of each excerpt as and when it is spoken. The film consists of three sections from a larger body of fictional texts and essays that appear in the accompanying publication.

The Vague Poetics whitebook is available free of charge from the exhibition.

Developed with support from Art Fund.
Matt’s Gallery is supported by Arts Council England.

Carolyn Thompson is represented by Eagle Gallery.