Jesse Pollock

Jesse Pollock’s sculptural forms meditate on the contradictions and problematics inherent in the conceptualization of the British countryside as a bucolic, pastoral ideal. Using steel, aluminium and silicone he creates apple picking ladders, gigantic grain stores and menacing skulls, recurring motifs which he extracts from the soil of England’s pastures green. Dystopian in tone, his work offers a poignant commentary on the social and political conditions of England’s provincial communities and landscapes, offering an explanation for political events like Brexit through exploring individuals’ desires to return to a vision of Albion that never was.  His sculptures act as contemporary memento mori—reminders of decay and impermanence—but they also contain elements of humour and resilience, reflecting the cyclical nature of destruction and renewal.

Pollock’s practice is informed by traditional craftsmanship and modern industrial techniques. The immediacy of welding and plasma cutting allows him to work instinctively, emphasising physical engagement with his materials. He often revisits and replicates singular actions—biting into clay, melting and reforming metal—highlighting the significance of repetition and labor in artistic creation.

 

Pollock earned a BA at Camberwell College of Arts, London (2015). He has had a solo exhibition Wilt, Well Projects in Margate (2024) plus two two-person exhibitions with George Rouy, the first at Hannah Barry Gallery, London, (2018) and then at Material Art Fair, Mexico City (2019). His work has also been included in a group exhibition at Steve Turner, Los Angeles (2019); at Sunday Art Fair, London (2019) and at Art Dusseldorf (2019). The Garden of England is Pollock’s first solo exhibition in the United States. He lives and works in Kent, England.