Paul Noble @ Gagosian Gallery

Cathedral, 2011

Nobson is full of shit. Literally! Actually it is full of litter and shit. But it is not ordinary shit that some maniac scattered and smeared all over the place. It is meticulously drawn shit by an extraordinary maniac with nearly supernatural drawing skills.

After this introduction I understand I might come across as some kind of perverted coprophiliac, when I admit that I am a massive fan of Paul Noble, ever since I have seen his show at Whitechapel Gallery back in 2004. Welcome to Nobson, Noble’s new exhibition at Gagosian Gallery, is overwhelming and indeed everything evolves around excrements. The post-apocalyptic cities are full of ruins, junk and inhabited by turd-shaped people, who shag constantly. The works exhibited are mainly pencil drawings (one is over 4 meters tall!) and few sculptures (of poo!) It is an excellent body of work, full of humour and incredible craftsmanship. Welcome to Nobson is the final stage of the 15-year project to map the imaginary Nobson Newton.