Junk Own

Grandfather’s Archive as a Source of Identity

Sarah Entwistle (b. London, 1979; lives and works in Berlin) is fascinated by the malleability of materials and their openness to reinterpretation. For her own practice, the artist combines architectural elements—in the tradition of Arte Povera, she repurposes found metal objects from junkyards—with objects that have a direct bearing on her biography. For several years, Entwistle has dedicated herself to reviewing and dismantling the archive of her late grandfather and fellow architect Clive Entwistle (1916–76), whom she never met. The archive, which consists of unrealized designs and personal papers, revealed Clive to be a mercurial and complex figure whose esoteric leanings were inseparable from his professional practice. Engaging with found materials lets Entwistle evaluate her own identity as an architect, artist, and woman. She adapts them to develop objects and sculptural still lifes, assemblaging elements such as large-format hand-woven tapestries, found and refashioned metal offcuts, ceramic objects, and works on paper.

Junk Own illuminates Entwistle’s sensitive practice. The monograph features works from the past five years, interspersed with numerous archival pieces from her grandfather’s estate and accompanied by fictional writings as well as discussions of the artist’s creative approach through the lenses of cultural and art history.