Yeung’s exhibition at Gasworks delves into the complex social dynamics and interspecies relationships in London’s gay cruising areas. Central to the exhibition is a scale recreation of Hampstead Heath’s infamous “fuck tree”, a notorious ageing oak whose sturdy trunk is bent low and whose bark is polished smooth following its regular nocturnal use. Cast in soap, Yeung’s version fills the dark gallery with an earthy, moist scent – evoking a liminal space of desire, longing, and shame.
Glistening and ephemeral, the soap replica embodies the tree and presents it as an intimate object to be used and consumed. Slowly worn away by physical interactions, it touches and rubs against out bodies, smoothing and disintegrating over time.
At Gasworks a sense of quiet reverie is accompanied by additional presences of animal and nature as Yeung further examines his emotional connection with Hampstead Heath. The walls are painted in a cold, grey gradient, similar to the transient moment just before fresh morning light hits the ground. Acorns glisten in the gentle light, and the sound of water splashing on
the ground can be heard. Together, these elements combine to explore the fluid interplay between night and day, public and private, concealing and being seen.
Trevor Yeung
Soft ground, 2023
Courtesy of the artist
Soft Ground is on display through December 17th at Gasworks, 155 Vauxhall St, London