Artistic Collaborations International Touring Exhibition
In 2008, four artists celebrated their new artworks with the beginning of an international touring exhibition to West Wales, France, Scotland and Yorkshire relating to where the artists lived and worked. Their exhibition and artist in residency at Aberglasney Gardens, West Wales, was very well received and reached visitors from the UK and many parts of the world.
This exciting collection included themed works in textiles, photography, paint and woodcut prints. Cynth Weyman, Sharron Astbury-Petit, Barbara Berkowitz and Paula Dean used to exhibit together with Hidden Strengths whilst living in Yorkshire, England until 1997.
Since the exhibition the artists have continued to work as individual artists in unique ways in different regions and countries including Scotland, Yorkshire, Wales, France and Canada.
For Artistic Collaborations, please contact: 01348-811128
Barbara Berkowitz (Scotland) – Her photographs on glass, steel and brass as well as traditional paper, intrigued many visitors. Floral detail, dancers and butterfly wings were of special interest. When the sun shone through an enlarged Blue Morph image on glass, it was magical. She creates pure images in camera using movement, form and colour to reinterpret a subject revealing the spirit and integrity of the moment.
Paula Dean (Yorkshire) - Influenced by Japanese printmakers, Paula’s woodcuts and paintings fascinated many visitors and led to many conversations in the Ninfarium tropical garden where Paula was often found drawing and preparing for further woodcuts. She responds to both landscape and the moving human form looking at pattern, a sense of mass and a clearly delineated structure within the landscape.
Sharron Astbury-Petit (France) – ‘Time & Tide’ series of large paint on cloth banners involving giclee printing techniques were highly detailed and visitors wanted to know a lot more about the highly illustrative technique. They are a personal study of the sea, it’s movements, shapes, moods, force and visual patterns created through elemental interaction.
Cynth Weyman (West Wales) – ‘Diary of an Artist’ series of large scale textile relief panels and art quilts led to many conversations with the public about the fabrics and images used. She worked on another textile relief panel during the residency which attracted special interest from Canadian visitors as quilting has really developed there over the last few years. In fact, another Canadian visitor recently came to Cynth’s studio in Fishguard, having heard about the show at Aberglasney.
‘The Cake’ sculpture included Cynth, Paula and Sharron and nine other artists working in Leeds in the 1980’s during Hidden Strengths exhibition tours across the UK. It was shown at the Aberglasney Gardens exhibition as a special treat and as a celebration for the artists that had shown together for many years before individuals moved further a field from Yorkshire. Everyone loved it and were fascinated by the small communal piece carved and painted on wooden cake shaped slices. Members wish to remember Kay Cooper and Pam Rex who have since died and who played an essential part in this sculpture project.
As a taster for France during 2009, ‘The Cake’ is accompanying Sharron Astbury-Petit’s exhibitions in Poitiers and beyond. Visitors love it there too. Sharron’s current technique is highly influenced by her individual piece of cake whereby she is painting figures on ash wood and leaving the grain to represent skin. During 2010-2011, it will appear in the UK again to accompany Paula and Cynth’s solo shows.
During 2011, Brixton Calling exhibited a set of ‘The Cake’ postcards which celebrated the artworks created by women artist in the 1980’s. Sharron also submitted a postcard artwork towards the ongoing collection. The exhibition and talks have become an important research contribution about women’s art in conjunction with 198 Contemporary Arts and Learning with events at Goldsmiths University of London, Women’s Art Library and Brixton Gallery. For more information see www.198.org.uk
This website page article will be updated as we progress so please watch this space for future announcements.
For Artistic Collaborations, please contact: 01348-811128
