Mar
24
2010
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Treescapes ExhibitionVenue: Oriel Barker Gallery, Pontypool, NP4 6JH
Time: Mon-Fri 10-5, Sat & Sun 2-5
Treescapes Exhibition
17th Jan – 25th Apr at Oriel Barker Gallery, Pontypool
Overview
Trees and woodland make an important, beautiful and sometimes dramatic contribution to our border landscapes. This exhibition features 6 artists who
observe and respond in different ways to the treescapes around them.
Trees
From a tiny, vulnerable sapling forcing its way through the leaf mould to a gnarled, knobbly, moss covered veteran spreading above us, trees are
fascinating and delightful, magical and mysterious, solid and comforting. They are a vital element of the world around us. They enhance our lives
and have the capacity to touch us deeply. Central to our British psyche, we endow them with metaphor and symbol reflected in our fairy tales, myths
and legends.
To walk through a wood is revitalising at any time of year. Bare winter trees form the bones of our landscape, casting long shadows across the path.
The greening of trees in springtime lifts our spirits, while the dense canopy of summer provides cool shade and hidden places. As the leaves turn to
their rich, autumnal colours the seasonal changes remind us of the rhythm of life.
Artists
Richard Bavin, an artist who specialises in trees, had been mulling over the idea of an exhibition based on the region’s treescapes for some time, and
was delighted to be given the opportunity to realise it by the curator of the Oriel Barker Gallery, Deborah Wildgust. Following a submission process
he invited 5 artists to join him, all of whom live and work in the border country between England and Wales. Each has a passion for trees and yet a
unique way of seeing and portraying them.
Doug Eaton lives in the heart of the Forest of Dean, and his work is permeated by both the natural and industrial landscapes around him. Interested in
the paint surface and the way paint behaves as much as the subject, his semi-abstract acrylics are full of strong lines and rich layering of
colour.
Ursula Prosser finds inspiration through walking well-trodden paths in familiar places. Her bold, patterned lino cuts are a personal response to the
landscape rather than an accurate record. Drawing and cutting en plein air, she endeavours to keep the spontaneity of her initial vision.
Frances St Clair Miller worked for three years in Moccas Park, an ancient deer park and forest in Herefordshire, to create a series of paintings and
prints. Her balanced and sensitive etchings take the viewer through the year and seasons; this is the first time that all twelve will be shown
together.
Andy Watts’ love for the British countryside first drew him to become an artist. Self taught, he takes inspiration from the changing colours and
forms of trees and the way they grow individually yet in harmony. His carefully observed acrylic paintings have a meditative stillness about them.
Brontë Woodruff, based in north-west Herefordshire, holds a life-long fascination with trees and their place in the landscape. She uses watercolour
in free and experimental ways, incorporating van Dyck crystals made from burnt walnut husks, natural beeswax and sea salt to give depth and
dynamism.
Richard has worked in Wellington Wood, close to his home, for nearly four years. These drawings, colour swatches and watercolour sketches provide a
springboard for larger watercolours and oil paintings in the studio. He seeks to convey the character of the wood and the experience of ‘being’
there.
Exhibition
Come and explore the amazing diversity and richness of the treescapes of our region through the eyes of these six very different and accomplished
artists. Children are welcome, and there is a free worksheet to encourage younger visitors to engage with the work.
The exhibition runs from Sunday, 17th January to Sunday 25th April 2010
Oriel Barker Gallery
Amgueddfa Pontypool Museum
Pontypool
Torfaen
NP4 6JH
Opening Times: Monday - Friday 10 - 5, Saturday & Sunday 2 – 5
Small admission charge
For more information contact:
Richard Bavin
01432 830168 / 07792 298271
bavin@madasafish.com
Deborah Wildgust, Curator, Barker Gallery
01495 752036
pontypoolmuseum@hotmail.com
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