Lindsey Mendick's 'Where You End and I Begin' at the Carl Freedman Gallery in Margate is a heart-stopping exploration of love's messy, magnificent chaos. This captivating exhibition is as much about the blood-and-thunder emotions of romance as it is about the darker, more twisted corners where love can go wrong.
At the helm of this masterpiece is Mendick's own relationship with fellow artist Guy Oliver – and their pint-sized pug, Telly – which inspires a series of raw, unflinching Polaroids that feel like an intimate look at a private life. These aren't just photos: they're a peek into a world where love knows no boundaries, where relationships become a messy, beautiful fusion of two people, and sometimes even a furry friend.
But this exhibition is more than just a sentimental slog through the highs and lows of Mendick's romance with Oliver. It's also an unflinching examination of co-dependency, where ceramic pieces depict their faces merged into one, sharing a rib cage or a heart wrapped around its valves – symbols of a bond so strong it defies logic. These 'mutant' forms are displayed in stark white as if in a medical laboratory, highlighting the extreme closeness that can develop within even the most profound connections.
Yet Mendick's work also plunges into the dark side of love, where toxic relationships lurk beneath the surface of adoration. Panels accompanying each exhibit feature phrases like "I'm simultaneously sick of you and can't live without you" or "Can you not see I'm drowning?" – stark reminders that even the most profound connections can be a minefield of emotions. Mendick suggests that love's destructive power is just as real as its capacity to nurture, blurring the lines between healthy and unhealthy attachment.
Critics have hailed 'Where You End and I Begin' as Mendick's strongest work yet, drawing comparisons with Tracey Emin – but also acknowledging a unique twist that pushes emotional vulnerability into unsettling realms. This exhibition is a reflection on the romances that shape Mendick's life, full of humour, anxiety, paranoia, surrealism, and unapologetic honesty.