By creating false taxonomies and subjective maps of relationships between ideas and people of note, Paul Robertson creates the illusion of scientific relationships. Periodic Tables, molecules and DNA strands become vectors for a pseudo-scientific mapping of the worlds of celebrity, philosophy, art and music.
THE PERIODIC TABLE OF BOWIE is the last artwork in the Victoria & Albert ‘DAVID BOWIE is’ exhibition. A massive wall vinyl which charts the various influences on the foremost British performer, rock star and actor. The work will travel with the V&A exhibition to other major cities over the next two years (Toronto firstly then San Paolo).
Robertson utilities the fact that in the original real chemical periodic table there are ten “families” of elements which react with others in similar ways within a family. Within these artistic periodic tables the ten families are used to tease out different aspects of the subject matter in a poetic sense.
The work also exists in a number of alternative forms – it is possible to buy the original vinyl wall work (from an edition of three with one artist’s proof) or an A0 Giclee print of the work (one of ten copies plus one artist’s proof) or the much more affordable A2 full colour offset print of the work which is shown below. You can buy the print here.
