ANDREW SIM

The title of the show is a brief list of its contents and this uncapitalised summary has a plainness andmodesty. However, the various animals and plants depicted shine joyously against their charcoal blackbackgrounds – almost appearing to emit light themselves. The subject of each pastel work originates fromSim’s personal experience following a long period of gestation and thought. The various motifs haveproduced a lasting impact on the artist. As such, they are often repeated, twinned and reconfigured tocreate a series of connections and synchronicities either within or across works.

Three works depicting monkey puzzle trees relate to a monkey puzzle which was planted near Sim’schildhood home when they were young–on a patch of grass the artist has still never approached. portraitof two monkey puzzle trees (with spring growth) seems fundamentally a picture of friendship, of twothings living and growing together. Meanwhile portrait of a monkey puzzle tree (Glasgow) depicts asingular tree in two parts and has a commanding elegance and symmetry.

Each non-human subject is imbued by Sim with compelling anthropomorphic qualities and the use of theword ‘portrait’ in many titles underscores this, reflecting the way significant moments and images in ourlives become part of us. As with the monkey puzzle tree pieces, two works depicting birds taking flightallude to growth and newfound freedom. These images initially appear simple and innocent, but we couldequally consider that these startled birds have moved in defence or fear. _black horse with pink wings_also appears ready to take off. This black coated Pegasus has a placid attitude and the freedom offlight.

Two works depicting Christmas trees have a gorgeous loneliness, mixing the natural and synthetic. Theystand in contrast to the growth of the monkey puzzle trees and the freedom of the birds and horses. Bothare unmoving and richly adorned. This subtly references the construction of Queer identity and also hasan autobiographical root–in one of Sim’s old flats they used to decorate the Christmas tree withnecklaces, earrings and a friend’s drag jewellery.

The exhibition is accompanied by a newly commissioned text by Shola von Reinhold. The piece respondsto the work in the show and Sim’s practice in general, elaborating on their interest in Queerness, utopiaand symbols through a series of fictions and textual fragments, including a play and diary.

Selected exhibitions include: ‘To be a giant and keep quiet about it’, Margot Samel, New York (2022);‘Four Horses and a Sunflower (Actual Size)’, The Modern Institute, Aird’s Lane (2022); ‘Heal the sick, raisethe dead’, Part of Glasgow International (2021); ‘We Two Bigfoots Together Clinging,’ Prouddick HQ,London (2020); ‘New Sodom will be a shining city on a hill’, Summerhall, Edinburgh (2019); KarmaGallery, New York City (2019); ‘Heaven To See’, (Group exhibition), Part of Glasgow International (2018);and ‘The Second Coming’, The Pipe Factory, Glasgow (2016).