The Residence celebrates its fifth birthday with an exhibition entitled Hackney Wood. Tom Jeffreys is impressed by the sheer range of work on show.
It's five years since Ingrid Z's The Residence Gallery first opened its doors, just a little further down the road from where it is today. During those five years, the Residence has moved from Victoria Park Road to the Verger's Cottage in Hackney Wick and back again – today it's housed in a smartly renovated 1860s building, complete with dainty back garden and Residential Suite for visiting arty types.
These five years have seen The Residence establish itself as one of the most consistently engaging galleries in Hackney, as Ingrid champions the work not only of up-and-coming London-based artists but also of significant international artists hitherto underrated in the UK.
In 2008 Ingrid co-founded Hackney Wicked festival, but departed this year as the event expanded – her departure was also accompanied by Laura May Lewis' Hollywood-style Hackney Wick sign, for many an instantly memorable symbol of the area's artistic talent. It's now in the back garden of The Residence, but amended to spell out the name of the gallery's current exhibition, Hackney Wood. This marks quite firmly Ingrid's move to distance her gallery from the Hackney Wick art scene, and the exhibition itself is a further statement of intent. 
On display are a series of works – predominantly by local Hackney-based artists – all incorporating wood in a variety of different ways. And the breadth of work is really quite something, as the artists – selected by Ingrid following an open submission – grapple with wood, not only as material but also as symbol and idea.
As part of the exhibition there are three awards to be announced: the Art Market Favourite, the People's Choice (you can vote here), and the Critic's Choice. I should declare at this stage that I'm one of the jury for the Critic's Choice award, although at the time of writing this the winner is yet to be decided. To be honest I don't even know who I'm going to vote for yet, so I'll just pick out a few of my favourite works. 
I really like Robert Haukenes' Haunted House with Ghosts – a small painted wooden house, reminiscent of something out of one of those Southern Gothic novels. Springing from windows and doors are a legion of ghosts made out of kitchen towel and sculpey. It's eerie, but its small scale renders the work oddly humorous too.
Alex Chinneck's large piece – 8 By By 4 – consists of two large strips of plywood affixed together by an aluminium zipper. It's witty and visually striking, but possibly lacks depth and the ability to sustain interest beyond the punchline.
More lastingly engaging is Simon Millgate little untitled mixed media piece. Redolent of Joseph Cornell's box works of the 1940s and '50s, Millgate's intriguing small-scale work is chock full of visual puns that make full use of the possibilities that wood offers. A found piece of branch is reminiscent, in its organic sensuality, of a Henry Moore reclining nude, whilst the background pattern is evocative both of malachite and a woman's breast. It's a clever, subtle little piece, that intrigues with a mass of textures and tiny half-revealed, half-revealing detail.
Just next to this is Christina Mitrentse's Illiterate Man Uncarved Wood, a lectern constructed out of empty book covers. The way in which the artist has removed any referential specificity reminds me of the paintings of Henrij Preiss. All that remains is a framework of potential symbolism. Having said that though, I think the title (and its emblazoning on the log that sits atop) weakens the work by narrowing the scope for interpretation.
Other works that I like include Kayde Anobile's pencil portrait on walnut panel, Jammie Nicholas' Roger Hiorns-esque cobalt blue cubes, Daryl Brown's smoothly tactile sculptural work and Matthew Gee's sensitive Wooden Water Dew.
The winners of the Critics' Choice, People's Choice and Art Market Favourite will be announced at the Hackney Wood Awards Ceremony on Thursday 2nd September. So get visiting, and get voting!
Hackney Wood is at The Residence until 2nd September 2010.
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Image credits, top to bottom, left to right: Laura May Lewis; Alex Chinneck; Robert Haukenes; Kayde Anobile; Christina Mitrentse; Simon Millgate; Geraldine Ryan; Matthew Gee
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