Lather & Pave

Two visual artists come together to explore the transitional states of cleaning, nature of rest and everyday resistance.

- Racy Lim

Lather & Pave is a joint exhibition by artists Joanne Pang and Stephanie Jane Burt. At a glance, it presented works with forms that were distinctly recognisable to each artist — Burt’s delicate but larger than life structure dressed in ribbon and lace, suspended from poles accompanied by other smaller paintings or sculptural objects; Pang’s installation observed the use of objects alongside abstract paintings on shiny aluminium surfaces.

Looking closer, it became clear that the works were bound to one another through a shared narrative. Inquiring into the nature of rest and what it entails, the artists dwelled into the mundane nature of cleaning as a form of resistance — an idea that has been associated with patriarchal, classist viewpoints that place the act of cleaning at the margins. In coming to the materiality and form of their works, they also reflected on living conditions (“how we are living in an urban environment, fast-paced and quite stressful,” both explain).

Pang’s and Burt’s works seemed to touch on the prescription of responsibilities and performativity of labour. They lend thought to questions such as, what comes to mind at the mention of ‘cleaning’? What role does cleaning play in our society and the household? How do we regard the person performing the chore? Have house chores been excessively imposed on women?