A group exhibition of contemporary glass artists who explore the human figure through the medium of glass. Figuration showcases the work of Simone Bremner, Morag Gordon, Tanwen Llewelyn, Yoshiko Okada and Paul Critchley.
Where?
Zest Contemporary Glass Gallery
Roxby Place
London SW6 1RS
When?
21st January – 27th March, 2010
Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm
How Much?
Entrance to gallery exhibitions and the studio shop is free.
Taking the ‘real world’ and the human form as their point of departure, figurative
artists in contemporary practice also tend toward abstraction in considering the
true nature of the ‘real’ and figurative. Employing a variety of techniques and
conceptual originality, the variety of work on display serves as an introduction
into figuration in glass art as well as an insight into the diverse and unique nature
of the artists’ work and inspiration.
Morag Gordon set up her first glass studio in 1984 and has worked with a large
variety of techniques from creating blown forms to windows and sculptural
pieces. Throughout this time, the one constant in her work is her use of figurative
imagery. She is inspired by the way humans create tension through gaze, an
outstretched hand or body language. Morag also explores the human condition,
and the methods through which we interact with one other. Sometimes the
themes appear very personal to the viewer, yet Morag hopes to reflect a
multitude of generic experiences in her work.
Simone Bremner uses casting techniques combined with hot pouring to create
her freestanding sculptures, in which the human form is represented through the
subtle use of outlines. Through this body of work, Simone is exploring the idea of
transition, and she explores the process by which an experience or element
undergoes a change, passing from one state into another. Her work creates a
dialogue between the making process and the meaning of life.
Yoshiko Okada’s work addresses the cultural collage of her Japanese
background and the English environment in which she lives. She uses kiln cast
techniques, combined with sandblasting and photographic fused imagery, to
capture different facial expressions in her solid glass sculptures. Her work is
purposefully simple in form, but multiplicitous in message, playing with the idea of
hidden feelings and emotions which lie beneath the human surface. The frozen
moment of her pieces is very important to her aesthetic.
Tanwen Llewelyn starts each of her works with a charcoal figure drawing. Her
pieces are then formed from wire and glass. To create a clear relationship
between the starting point and her finished piece, she uses iron wire to create an
interpretation of a drawn figure. She hammers, twists and bends the wire to
obtain an approximation of the figure, then fuses them within clear glass. Her
works are purposefully humorous and erotic, displaying the naked human form
with exaggerated curvature and expression. Set in glass, the wire figure is
unavoidably exposed, a reference to the pressures and expectations of
contemporary society.
EVENTS
There will be a number of events during the exhibition, including Artist Talks.
More Info?
http://www.zestgallery.com/exhibitions.php?showExhibition=56
Author: Ty_Lee
Ty is a lover of all things art - from the classical to the neo classical, his appetite for art is insatiable. Devouring all forms and patterns, he is constantly on the look out for art that elicits emotion reactions within his own continuum and those of others. Always friendly and happy to have a chin wag about the latest art his Buddhist views permeate the kaleidoscope of his vision.
