Exhibition Statement:A glance at seven passages. Seven artists present a reunion of their work after one year of individual progression. The collective each occupies a set measurement which signifies the approximate space of a step. Amy Goodwin Heidi Ball, IreneVidal, Lewanna Stewart, Lisa Wrench, Lucy Kerr and Suzy Sharpe use their authorial voice to explore themes of arsenic, monsters, narrative resonances, symbol, solitude, illusion and anthropocentrism. 'A Stride' exhibition took place at The Poly in Falmouth and after a packed Private View (thank you to everyone who attended) the exhibition ran for a further four days during Falmouth Week in early August. It was my second group exhibition at The Poly this year but this time there were seven of us to bring together in a relatively small space.
The title of the exhibition 'A Stride' derives from the idea of a set measurement, or a 'step', and was chosen as a theme for the show for two reasons. Firstly, so that each artist would occupy a space measuring roughly a 'step' or a 'stride' and that the work on show would signify some kind of journey, be it literal, spiritual or metaphorical. It was wonderful to be reunited once again with some of my old student colleagues almost one year on from graduation and I'm very proud of Amy and Irene in particular for the hard work they put in curating the exhibition. It's not always an easy task to co-ordinate 7 artists! It was also wonderful to catch up with Lewanna who has been sorely missed since she returned to Scotland (we're putting the pressure on for her swift return!) Of course, it was also a little nostalgic for me being back in Falmouth. Although I still live in Cornwall, my time in Falmouth was so precious and wonderful that it is hard not to feel emotional every time I return. Everyone's work is quite different, but as a whole I thought that the exhibition worked well. I have included links to all the artists' individual websites for more info on each of them and the artists' statements can be read by clicking through the images above. The Echo CollectorAs the sun went down on the night of the seventeenth of February, my friend took a boat, a fishing trawler, and set out to cross the ocean from Ireland to Cornwall.
He did not know how to sail and he was alone. He told me that he was no longer in control of his own destiny, that something else guided him that night and that he no longer cared if he lived or died. While he was at sea, he claimed to have been visited by a woman whose presence, though it soothed him, gave him no rest. Nobody but he ever knew for sure what happened that night on the ocean, but afterwards, when I visited the boat, I listened while he told me his tale. Years later, I created these images. They are my memory of his memory. An echo of an echo. Not to be trusted. But now that they are finished I finally understand that the woman in the story is me. But I did not steer the ship that day. He did. I was mostly enjoying myself too much to think about taking many photos from the night of the Private View, but here are a few images from early on in the evening, when everything -(including me)- still looked fresh and pristine. There are many more images being loaded onto my website at www.lisawrenchillustration.co.uk and onto my Facebook page if you would like to see more.
It was a fabulous evening. Two years of hard work culminating in these last few weeks of frantic building to get the exhibition ready in time. There is still much to reflect on as I look back over the whole experience, but for now I simply want to enjoy the celebrations and the place where I am in my life, both professionally and personally. It has been quite the journey and I think I am still a little bit surprised to find myself where I am, having achieved so much in a relatively short space of time. I will reflect on this more once the dust settles a little, but until then, all I can say is ... Follow your dreams, people ... Follow your dreams ... It's the last few days before the deadline on Wednesday and I'm putting the final few details into my installation for the exhibition which starts on 2nd September (PV 6-9pm). I am absolutely knackered but have loved just about every minute of creating this thing, from its conception over a chat and a cuppa with my (slightly barmy) man in my garden to my emerging awe in myself that I have actually pulled this off!!! I never want it to end (Well, maybe I do a little as it will be nice to have some kind of life again!) and it's hard to believe that in less than a week all the work for my MA, work I have been immersed in for 2 years now, will be all done, handed in, and ready for the final assessment ahead of the final exhibition. What a journey this has been, both personally and creatively. A most incredible, wonderful two years.It has been an exciting couple of days in the exhibition space ...
Firstly, I decided that I wanted to 'plank' the sides of the boat, rather than use my original plan which was simply to use a single sheet of board rolled down the sides. I felt that this gave a more authentic feel of being on a wooden trawler, where the sides are planked and quite incredibly for a water-going vessel, gaps in the boards allow light in, which I though might be a nice aesthetic touch in the space. It wasn't that much more work and I thought it was worth it at this point. I have also been painting everything black as I've gone along, which is intended to be a base coat for the more interesting paint effects that I intend to splash about with later. Less optimistically, but a practical consideration, is that if I run out of time, the black still looks pretty good and once the boat is 'dressed' is an effective backdrop on its own. Other problems I have been resolving are, firstly, the issue with the sound system, which I have done by wiring up some big speakers to my home stereo and trying out the sound inside the space. I still have to finalise my soundtrack, but I feel better now that the technology to play it is in place. And more importantly, I have tried and tested the positioning of the data projector which will project my animation into the space. Fortunately, it works really well and will still allow an audience to venture inside without disrupting the view, as I had initially planned. So, no last minute disasters there either, I hope. The next step is to finish the roof at which point the build will be completely finished, leaving me around 7 full days to apply ageing effects and to play with the projection and the 'setting of the stage'. |
I am a ...... Teller of Tales. A Creator of Books. An Artist, Illustrator and A Boatbuilder. A Professional Daydreamer, Occasional Mermaid, and always The Eternal Optimist. Categories
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