Once again, the Upper Gallery of Modern Art Oxford has been completely transformed. This time, plaster powder, powdered paint, toothpaste, hair gel, nail varnish, sugar paper, moisturising cream, Vaseline and glitter hairspray come together to evoke ‘body’ and ‘landscape’.

The exhibition, which has taken over MAO’s first floor galleries, is the work of Scottish-born Karla Black, who constructed her expansive floor exhibits on site. Only the sculptures, which appear to have been made from brown paper but actually make use of sugar paper, were created in her studio.

The Upper Gallery is one of the biggest spaces that Karla has been invited to make an exhibition in. Its size has enabled her to push her work into the full museum scale that it has been edging towards for the past few years, allowing it to finally become what it really is.

So what is it? What’s going on? What is she trying to say?

Well, firstly, Kala centres her work on the floor, because she believes it is at this level that the world is first understood by children experiencing it for the first time.

She has determined our route of access through the galleries, starting at the Upper Gallery, to ensure that we enter from the front and the entire room is visible immediately.

Those entering the first room will be exposed to a vast expanse of pink powder covering the floor that she has entitled Platonic Solid. Created from materials such as plaster powder and powdered paint — which don’t solidify, yet over time will react to the atmospheric conditions of the room — the viewer is confronted with finished things that are almost objects, or only just objects.

Twisted hanging sculptures created from cellophane and cling film, highlighted with lipstick, nail varnish and moisturising cream, dangle from the ceiling on a thin thread. Sugar paper forms — many looking rather like large misshapen brown paper bags — provide yet more textures and experiences.

A particularly fascinating aspect of Karla’s work rests with her theory that if something can’t stand up by itself, its only option is to lie against a support or simply sprawl on the floor — which is why several of her pieces are leaning on a wall or similar support.

MAO holds free tours every Saturday at 3pm, which are well worth attending when confronting the complex works of artists such as Karla.

And for those who would like to meet the artist, she will be discussing her work with Michael Stanley at 6pm on Thursday, November 26.

Booking for this event is essential. Call MAO on 01865 813800.