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Fire
and Iron Gallery, Leatherhead, Surrey
29 September - 3 November 2001
Cajobah
Gallery, Birkenhead
1-28 February 2002
My first impression of the exhibition was one of confidence and harmony. This integrated feeling between the pieces was intriguing, because the individual artists were making very personal statements. But I think it was the professionalism of the group that emerged. The Practical Study Group is a collection of artists who are secure in the techniques they have chosen to explore and yet are still experimenting and coming up with interesting work.
One of the most individual voices to emerge was that of Sarah Burgess. Her 'Fire and Iron' vessels leaned and pulled against each other to create powerful tensions, and she bravely contrasted metallic areas with brightly coloured and textured sides. These pieces, well-lit and displayed, made a strong contribution to the exhibition.
Fire
and Iron vessels: Tear...
Sarah Burgess
'This
work explores the relationship between three-dimensional forms
wrenching apart, a cold, hard exterior against a burning interior.
These are stable forms being pulled towards instability.' 23 x 44 x 13 cm
Click the image to see a bigger version
In contrast to Sarah's work were Jean Mould Hart's beautifully subtle pieces. Here the artist was enjoying the unpredictable as she developed her lovely textured surfaces. But the most powerful piece was the small structure suggesting the charred remains of a book with the back cover representing that evocative image of the burned and twisted remains of the World Trade Center. The reference to September 11th captured the grimness of the event.
Dorothy Tucker also made reference to that horrific event in 'Earth Quilt'. This was a strong piece of work developed over many months and representing layers of time and events that had had an impact on her life. Its simplicity added to the power of the piece. The initial visual response was to recognise an area of cracked and dried earth, then on closer inspection one could see additional marks and textures emerging between the cracks, implying the layers of time. The orange slash that emerged from the background, and struck out towards an oil lamp with a lit candle, represented September 11th. The quilt, executed in basic techniques with simple materials, proves that drama and impact can be created from a simple focused approach.
Earth
Quilt
Dorothy Tucker
'Cracks
can be caused by drying out, tension across a surface, impact or movement and
time.
Similar networks of lines, shapes and spaces can be traced on our hands and
faces,
in the structure of a leaf or vast tracks of land seen from the air.
Cracks appear in the pathways of earthquakes, drought and famine.
I crumple, crease and tear Asian paper, then reassemble and stitch the torn
shapes
onto Indian cotton. The work can be read as breaking apart or holding together.
Either way the Earth Quilt acknowledges and covers loss.' 124 x 124
cm
Click the image to see a bigger version
This was a most enjoyable exhibition and it was pleasing to see a group of artists who take their work very seriously. They have found their own voices but for the most part have not become complacent, as the majority of work on show displayed a willingness to set personal goals and challenges.
This article is from Embroidery, Volume 53 No.1, © Jae Maries.