Artistic Collaborations International Touring Exhibition
Four artists celebrated their new artworks with the beginning of an international touring exhibition to West Wales, France, Scotland and Yorkshire in 2008 relating to where the artists live and work. 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 includes
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. They have since developed their art in
unique
ways in different regions and countries. Paula, however, has recently
returned
to
Visitors
discussed artworks, techniques and lives of the artists at
Aberglasney Gardens Mansion House.
A great day out visiting the restoration garden
project, the
Mansion,
Ninfarium and Artistic Collaborations exhibition.
Great
place for lunch too.
Garden entrance fees apply and includes free entry into the exhibition.
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’ 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.
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.
This website page article will be updated as we progress so please watch this space for future announcements.
