Polished cast aluminium on corten steel plinth
Sculpture 200 x 70 x 20cm, plinth 130 x 50 x 50cm
A polished aluminium track bike is balanced vertiginously on its back wheel: on closer inspection a tiny mouse is revealed, bearing the gleaming bike Atlas-like on his shoulders. The irreverent gesture, characteristic of both Smith and Baker, deflates the monumentality of the sculpture while making its position seem all the more precarious. The sleek lines of the machine, built for speed, are emphasised by the liquid mercury-like sheen of the polished metal, which contrasts with the industrial patina of the Corten steel plinth. “I like to take people along a path which takes them to a place where they least expect to be”, Baker says. “Art should entertain” adds Smith.