Saturday 7th March – Saturday 29th March 2009
Humour is described as the tendency of particular cognitive experience to provoke laughter and provide amusement. Many theories exist about what humour is and what social function it serves but people of most ages and cultures respond to humour.
We hope that this exhibition proves to be the antidote to a long and dreary winter. Each of these artists and makers have a special way of looking at and representing the world.
Words such as surreal – bizarre or dreamlike, humour and whimsy come to mind – anything but dull. To be taken seriously but certainly not without a smile and maybe a few questions.
Artists
Henry Walsh, Victoria Benns and John Wood
Ceramicists
Consuelo Radclyffe, Amanda Popham, Ross Emerson, Prue Cooper and Ronnie Fulton
Furniture maker
Hollie Wright – Hereford School of Arts Graduate 2008
Quotes From And Information On The Exhibitors
Consuelo Radclyffe
Says of her work…. “I make figurative three-dimensional sculptures from clay, wire, paper and found objects. My work expresses a range of narratives based on my country of birth, Brazil. The main theme is based around childhood; exploring nostalgia and memories.
My clay figures are individuals, each with carefully crafted identities. Whether collectively or individually, they represent aspects of playtime that we all remember as adults, whilst embodying the underlying sadness and difficulty of each scenario.
The expressions on the faces remind us of the frustrations of being a child, the joyful play mixed with sibling rivalry and childhood insecurities. I explore the difficult moments where we felt lost or alone and parody the ‘perfect’ upbringing.
We are often told that childhood should be the ‘happiest’ time of our lives, when we felt most free, most excited and uninhibited. The reality is often different.”
Amanda Popham
Narrative ceramics, which may seem at first glance, decorative and playful but like all good stories, can be ambiguous or sinister or have an air of thoughtful melancholy.
Amanda explains…. “Using the clay with a combination of formality and spontaneity with detailed modelling, painting and surface decoration, including words, I continue to strive for clarity and fluency of ideas and feelings. Starting with the vessel and the figure as symbols and as objects and following where the ideas lead.
The journey from mud to beautiful glazed object is enchanting and you never know where you’ll end up.
The work is all hand-built earthenware decorated with underglaze colours, oxides and lustres.”
Ross Emerson
Says of his work…. “All my work has to be a pleasure to make and hopefully conveys that sense of fun as a finished piece. They are about nothing in particular and everything that interests me at the same time. Don’t look for deep and meaningful although you may find it if you know how to make sense of fantasy. There are certainly surrealist echoes of Dali, Echer and even Heironymous Boche. Perhaps Lewis Carrol is there too. I use themes such as trompe l’oei and distorted perspective to deceive the eye and create illusions. Into the mix I add visual metaphors and non-sequiturs and use plenty of colour, partly as decoration and partly as painting in it’s own right, but all adding to the visual richness of the final piece.
I don’t use moulds and every bit is modelled or built from scatch, so no two finished pieces are ever the same. When you buy a ceramic clock or sculpture from me, you buy the genuine article: original and unique.”
Prue Cooper
Says of her work…. “My dishes are meant to be used and enjoyed; slip decorated press-moulded earthenware is an approachable and friendly medium. The designs reflect my view of life, celebrating friendship and the sharing of simple pleasures.
Some dishes have inscriptions, which are not separate from the designs but integral to the whole both in form and meaning. The overall design echoes the sense of the words (as a tune echoes the sense of the lyric). The lettering is done freehand, fairly fast.”
Ronnie Fulton
Says of his work…. “Having moved from Portpatrick on Scotland’s west coast to North Berwick on the east in 2005, I am slowly adjusting to the lack of rain, the cold east wind and salt’n’sauce with my chips!
Most of my work is hand built, I enjoy a direct relationship with clay. Recently I have been throwing sculptural pieces, although still influenced by the sea and man’s relationship with it. Inspiration is never far away, with the Bass Rock and busy shipping lane from the Forth to the North Sea visible from the studio. I have been exploring this theme for over 20 years and hope that the work is still fresh, vibrant and distinctive. I hope that some of the pleasure I derive from making it is reflected in the finished work.”
Hollie Wright
Hollie Wright is a designer and craftswoman who uses reclaimed wood and fittings to make quirky functional furniture. Her influences come from the allotment and smallholding lifestyle she grew up with in rural Oxfordshire. Chickens have always been a central part to her daily life, and so have become the leading characters of her work.
Her work ranges in scale and complexity, from small boxes to bespoke large-scale furniture. Every piece has a function, with cupboards, drawers and compartments, making them entirely useable and designed for everyday life.
Henry Walsh
Says of his work…. “I’m sure most people have been entertained at one time or another by simply sitting back and watching society walk by. Whether in a coffee bar on Oxford Street, a tube train under London, a pub in the British countryside or a rooftop in a foreign land, I find myself drawn to just staring at the wonderful array of faces, cultures, fashions, body language and the simple differences that make us all unique. London of all places is one of the richest in diversity. Whether due to our history of invasions or our Mecca-like attraction for immigration, this nation has become a celebration of humanity in all its forms.
This habit of ‘people watching’ is only a fraction of the tale. The imagination of the viewer is a key to the simplistic strength of my work. There is within all the works, and also in their obscure titles, a half narrative. I’m telling just enough of the tale for imagination to take over, or, as the title of the exhibition suggests, the strangers upon the canvas are seeking the empathy of the viewer.”
Victoria Benns
Victoria lives in an isolated location within farmland that epitomizes our immediate countryside. Natural forms play a large part in her inspiration and she is currently investigating the eccentric and playful nature of animals.
She captures a vibrant and humorous understanding of her animal subjects giving an insight into their world and invariably a glimpse of how they may be looking back!
Her style is direct and confident and is influenced specifically by the character of the subject from the precise and sedate to the energetic and excitable.
John Wood
In the millennium year of 2000 John returned to art and a new beginning as an Artist in the ever-unpredictable world of fine art. John States “If I had to make a statement on my approach to art I would probably say that I strive for the presence experienced, when a work ceases to be ordinary and becomes extraordinary ?? a work of art”
John has exhibited at the Royal Academy summer exhibition, the RBSA galleries and many private galleries and venues across the Midlands. He works in soft pastel, pencils and watercolours that have been endorsed with many awards and commendations.
Forthcoming events and exhibitions
Saturday 4th – Sunday 26th April |
TOGETHER |
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| Frank and Janet Hamer, Jane and Ted Hamlyn, Nigel and Libby Edmondson, Alasdair and Sally MacDonell, David and Margaret Frith, John and Jude Jelfs | |
Saturday 2nd – Sunday 31st May |
South Wales Potters Association Group Show |
Opening Hours
10.30am – 5.00pm Tuesday – Sunday and Bank Holidays
Plenty of free parking and free admission
For further information please contactKim Taylor |
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| T: | 01905 754 484 |
| E: | [email protected] |
| W: | beverevivis.com |
| B: | blog.beverevivis.com |