Three distinctive artists come together in this exciting exhibition exploring their diverse approaches to media and abstraction rooted in the rugged yet beautiful land and seascapes of their adopted home in West Cornwall.
The differences between the three are evident in their use of media and working processes but similarities also surface as each responds to the geography and geology that surround them. They are all directed by the geometry they perceive – the lines, the forms, the shapes, the patterns. Each, in their chosen mediums, creates absorbing abstractions from that environment.
All three also inject aspects of the autobiographical, and of society at large into their work. Their own musings and reflections on life become embedded in their art. The fact that they were individually drawn to West Cornwall from very different locations (Cambridge, Yorkshire and Brighton respectively) gives each of them a unique lens through which to view the Cornish landscape.
The Artists
Richard Holliday – Sculptor
From his roots in the restoration trade working on cathedrals and other historic buildings, to grander public art commissions with their inherent structural technicalities and deadlines, Richard now finds himself in the relatively tranquil environment of studio and gallery. Each new phase is as fulfilling as those of the past.
He is sometimes true to the materials allowing hardness and durability to take precedent. He sometimes wants the stone to appear and feel soft and malleable. Sometimes he concentrates on technique, sometimes purely on geometry. He takes his inspiration from his architectural backstory or his o
bservation of nature or the human form. This exhibition allows for it all.
Shelley Thornton – Painter
Shelley lives and works in St Ives, Cornwall. She brings her bold and colourful abstract painting style to life through a series of unique collections. Her artworks represent a strong melding of the seeming dichotomy of the industrial city environment where she grew up and the stunning seascapes around her. She is driven by the feelings, interpretations and stories that run through our world.
Often her work draws inspiration from her passion for music. Lyrical elements add to the narrative and mixed media style of some paintings whilst, in others, music has led to the idea and resulting feel for creativity as Shelley builds the piece up each layer at a time. Texture and symbolism surface within bloc
ks of colour to tell comprehensive stories – evoking a deep sense of place and the passing of time. Shelley combines salvaged materials such as sand, salt, cement, brick and rust. These natural or industrial mediums bring their own histories to bear on the reading of the artworks – providing fragments of m
emory to her creations.
“When I paint, I find myself blending images of steel furnaces and coal mines from my northern roots with the contrasting beauty of Cornwall.”
Graham Black – Printmaker
After a long career as an art director in London, Graham relocated to Cornwall to rekindle his love for printmaking. Based on a working dairy farm near Land’s End, his work is deeply rooted in West Penwith’s rugged coastal environment. His affinity with this landscape underpins his work – primarily silkscreen printing, which he embraces for its potential for unpredictable outcomes.
He also draws inspiration from the pioneers of British abstraction who were similarly motivated by Cornish topography: Nicholson, Hepworth, Frost, Barns Graham, Pasmore. Where his work differs, perhaps, is in representing the myriad textural complexities of the rock formations that dominate the area – he is as fascinated by surface pattern and texture as by form and shape.
“Recent work has become less representational of the landscape itself and been distilled into pure abstraction; the focus of the imagery has become more conceptual, colourful and celebratory”
Penwith Gallery
Penwith Gallery, formerly an old pilchard packing factory, has a remarkable complex of buildings, including three public galleries, artists’ studios, a print workshop, a sculpture courtyard, shop and archive.
The Penwith was founded in 1949 by Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson, Peter Lanyon, Bernard Leach, Sven Berlin and Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, amongst others. This association with so many progressive and influential artists has given the Penwith a unique place in British art history.
It is a privilege to exhibit in this most prestigious gallery. It is an amazing set of spaces.
Feedback
Feedback from the show has been brilliant, eg: “Fantastic exhibition. Beautifully curated and such a great collaboration of artists.”, “The work in the different disciplines works so well together”, “An outstanding, exceptional exhibition”, and “A stunning show”.
