When Paul Noble was nominated for the Turner Prize in 2012, visitors to the Tate were astonished, amused, impressed – but most of all, curious – about his strangely-contoured, poo-like creations, which manifested themselves comically through many of his drawings. Noble explained at the time: “Walk Whitman wrote a beautiful poem about compost… [My drawings] are more than just poo. They’re depictions of anthropomorphized shapes that always collect in waste”. Part of the irresistible charm of his work, then, is in his ability to multiply a humorous image and transform it into an expansive visual realm.
From next week onwards, the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen will exhibit Paul Noble’s Nobson Newtown, which comprises vast and breathtakingly intricate pencil drawings of his imaginary world. Noble has worked on this project for eighteen years: visitors will be able to admire the complex details of Nobspital (a hospital) and Nobsend (a cemetery); amongst many more scenes from his fantastical yet precise and orderly world.
Nobson Newtown will run from 14 June to 21 September.
Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Museumpark 18, 3015 CX Rotterdam
Images courtesy of the artist and the museum.
