Rejuvenation

Found Object, 2008

The Whitechapel Gallery is internationally acclaimed for its exhibitions of modern and contemporary art. The Whitechapel exhibited Pablo Picasso's Guernica in 1938 as part of a touring exhibition organised by Roland Penrose to protest the Spanish Civil War and The Gallery has premiered international artists such as Frida Kahlo, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Nan Goldin and provided a showcase for Britain’s most significant artists from Gilbert & George to Lucian Freud, Peter Doig to Mark Wallinger. Through its pioneering exhibition, education and public events programmes, The Whitechapel Gallery plays a unique role in London's cultural landscape.

In 2008 Estes premiered his work 'Rejuvenation Mask' at The RVC exhibition 'Lust & Luxuria' as part of The Whitechapel Gallery, Late Nghts. 'Rejuvenation Mask' is a 'found object' originally marketed under the aegis of 'Health and Beauty'. While the face of the mask exhibits a kind of hieratic calm, on the back are tiny metal nodules that send electric currents into the face of the wearer. Estes has further highlighted the sado-masochistic element of the object by displaying it in a slightly downward cast. However, the mask is also displayed under a glass dome and on a light box and plinth. A commentary on the hidden and concealed nature of master narratives, the main conceit of the work is that release from physical chains only results in the replacement of mental ones. Through this kind of irreverent tweaking of the politics of display, Estes creates slight shifts in perception, thereby suggesting that fantasy and illusion are not contradictions of reality, but instead and integral part of our everyday lives.

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