Past Art Exhibitions
Making Connections
May 2006
The exhibition for May is a select show of work by Helen Gilmour Ceramics, Charlie Sale Glass, Su Blackwell Metal, Abigail Percy Jewellery, Alison Macleod Jewellery , Deirdre Nelson Textiles and prints by Julian Meredith.
Helen Gilmour’s collection of ‘knittted’ ceramics are quirky and intriguing. Cleverly devised pieces such as teapot and cup and saucer are used to create non-functional pieces to be enjoyed. Helen graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 2005.
Abigail Percy, one of 3 jewellers exhibiting, is also a 2005 GSA graduate.
Abigail’s collection of work is inspired by a love and fascination for historical repeat pattern design, particularly floral. Her work is a study of pattern as a two dimensional discipline and the creation of a link between pattern and jewellery. Pieces include oversized gold and faux ivory brooches and pearl drop earrings.
Alison Macleod graduated from Edinburgh College of Art in 2003. Alison’s work is inspired by her love for collections of old objects found in junk shops, attics and museums. Exploring the notion that for many people the memory of someone or a time past can be retained within a possession, Alison develops this through the indirect beauty which is held in the sacred nature of these belongings to create pieces from beaded wire, silver, semi-precious stones to echo the intense decoration found in antique jewellery. By combining this with individual wax castings, flat pierced shapes, found objects and semi precious stones Alison aim’s to create thought provoking, desirable pieces
Laura McIver graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 2004 Laura draws on the concept of simplifying and stylizing organic shapes into patterns and silhouettes and is influenced by visuals in Japanese textiles. Her pieces involve the intricate piercing of patterns, and the forming of 2D components into 3D wearables. Necklaces, brooches and rings are made in silver with oxidised, satin and blanched finishes and details in gold, pearls and semi-precious beads
Charlie Sale’s collection of glass vessels is inspired by a love of subaquatic pattern, colours and forms. The collection exhibited is from Charlie’s 2005 Edinburgh College of Art degree show. The shapes, textures and colour formed through layers which are then carved and cut ; create multi- faceted objects which refract light in a an ever-changing variation.
Cumbria based metal worker Su Blackwell has captured the fragile character of wrens, humming birds and other varieties cleverly formed using safety pins.
Her meticulous pieces have a simplicity of form, designed and then created from line drawings. The one larger piece exhibited is an impressive owl, which has a density and shape true to a bird of prey ,suspended in air, the piece does make the viewer wonder just how long it must have taken to create- pin by pin.
Deirdre Nelson a Glasgow based artist who works with textiles – embroidery and print. Since graduating from Glasgow School of Art Deirdre has worked constantly over the last 10 years and has exhibited widely. The work exhibited in Timespan is based on the Ayrshire needleworkers who produced meticulous Ayrshire whitework. This type of embroidery was particularly laborious due to the use of white thread on a white base.
Exploring the stories associated with the needleworkers and the sometimes darker layers which were revealed as these stories unravelled, Deirdre’s pieces are humourous reflections of these tales. Whisky Girdle and Pin jar relate to the use by the women, particularly the older workers, of whisky which despite the pain was regularly used to relieve sore, strined eyes and which also temporarily sharpened their vision.
Timespan’s artist in residence Julian Meredith exhibits 6 large scale prints. Fluke, Sand drawing and Shoal of Fish demonstrate the use of pattern and scale central to all of Julian’s work. The residency will culminate in the production of a piece of artwork at the harbour. A dvd of Julian working, producing these large scale works, will be shown throughout the exhibition.
