Dimensions: object: 190 x 622 x 457 mm
Copyright: © John Latham Estate, courtesy Lisson Gallery, London | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Curator: At first glance, I see a rhythmic pattern, five books splayed open on a larger volume, creating a wave-like form. Editor: This is John Latham's "Five Sisters Bing." Latham, born in 1921, often critiqued institutional knowledge hierarchies. Curator: The work’s materiality—the distressed quality of the large book, the jagged pages—suggests a violent deconstruction of information. Editor: Precisely! Latham saw books as remnants of a failed system. This piece reflects his anarchistic approach to knowledge dissemination. Curator: The repetition of the book form, each slightly different in color, could symbolize the diversity of perspectives suppressed by dominant narratives. Editor: Or, more formally, the varying colors could be seen as a purely aesthetic decision, enhancing the visual rhythm of the piece. Curator: Perhaps. But Latham often situated his art in opposition to establishment power structures. Editor: True. Regardless, "Five Sisters Bing" challenges us to consider the very nature of information and its control. Curator: Indeed, a potent reminder of how knowledge can be both a source of power and oppression.
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Five Sisters is one of the derelict land sites in the Midlothian and West Lothian area which Latham, during his placement with the Scottish Development Office, proposed should be preserved as monuments (see Derelict Land Art: Five Sisters displayed nearby). Latham’s proposals included a suggestion for the erection of large sculptures, in the form of books, on the summits of the shale heaps or ‘bings’. This proposal was never carried out but the arrangement of the books which form this work echoes the shape and appearance of the Five Sisters Bing. Gallery label, February 2010
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