C108 Review

London: Marta Marce at Mobile Home

Marta Marce: painting from Mobile Home show; courtesy Mobile Home

It is becoming increasingly apparent that we live in nostalgic times. Our need for innocence, whether perceived or real, is driving us deeper into romantic reminiscences about our past. The logical endpoint of this rear-view action is an idyllic, fun-filled childhood. Fittingly, Marta Marce's latest show at Mobile Home is largely based on childhood games. Her paintings are both naïf and naïve, mutating the bendy curves of Scalextric toy racetracks into psychedelic swirls, creating a collision between memory and abstraction. The viewer is confronted with a pleasant set of colours and forms that twist and turn in a pleasing, playful way. Indeed, the simplicity of these paintings is their most evident feature - for better and for worse. On one hand, they are very decorative and immediately enjoyable but ultimately do not really leave a lasting impression. Just like a game, once the novelty wears off...

Arthur Cravan is a critic, poet, boxer and dancer. He lives in London and Milan, when he's at home.

Marta Marce, Mobile Home, London, April / May 2004