Project Description
Redwing Gallery showcases work by highly talented artists whose access to the mainstream can be limited by a whole range of reasons, including mental health issues, disability, chronic ill health, social circumstance, art style or the subject matter they work with.
Directors Peter Fox and Roselyne Williams chose the theme ?Venus and Mars? for the exhibition, leaving interpretation of that title open to artists. This made for an interesting and varied show, which featured work by Ivan Bray, Paul Broad, Norma Guyver-Cole, Graham Jobbins, Becky Leest, Stefan and others.
One of the many highlights of the ?Venus and Mars? exhibition is ?Creation of an Evolutionary Metaphor?, an alternative Statue of Liberty by Graham Jobbins whose sculpture, even if it were smaller, would not fit easily into galleries of Cornish landscapes, seascapes and pretty abstracts.
Jobbins was born in Kent in 1959 and studied sculpture at Maidstone College of Art. Moving to Cornwall in 1985, he has designed and produced a remarkable range of metalwork and wooden sculptures. He employs scrap metal and junk items primarily to construct figurative work.
Pete Townsend of The Who purchased his largest piece, a three metre high ‘Iron Man’. He acknowledges the influence of science fiction, Jacob Epstein the sculptor, and perhaps even his dog, who he enjoys walking! He has often worked with the sculptor David Kemp and produces large-scale constructions for theatrical and festival events including Truro’s City of Lights and Kneehigh Theatre as well as unusual items such as candelabra built of nuts and bolts.
It was good to see new work by visionary artist Ivan Bray in the exhibition. Born in North Wales, Bray first came to Cornwall at the age of seven. At fifteen he left for Australia, where his works found their way into public collections. The artist returned to Cornwall in the 1990’s, attended Falmouth School of Art and exhibited in London and at Goldfish gallery before taking a break from the gallery scene. Bray’s painting ?Eve Leading Adam from Eden? is a dark, moody piece. It’s heart-felt simplicity reminds one of the work of William Blake. Ivan Bray
Becky Leest’s paintings ?His Buttons? and ?Her Buttons? hark back to a simpler time. Leest brings together oil paint, wood, paper collage and buttons for a pair of beautiful paintings on wood panels.
Norma Guyver-Cole exhibits small intimate (in all senses of the word) mezzotints, using a a rarely seen printmaking method.
Peter Fox, Redwing’s founder says ?It’s exciting to see more and more artists who feel outside of, or on the margins of, the artworld bringing their work in to the gallery.”
Venus and Mars ran throughout October 2013.
The gallery is ran an artist-led Mezzotint Day on Sunday 27th October where anyone could have a go at creating their own mezzotint print.
