On the Fringe

A select group of gallery artists have been asked to explore an area of creation outside their practice. FLG believes that experimentation and a relaxing of expectations can allow for unique and unexpected break throughs.

Artists participating are Jo Davenport, Dion Horstmans, Michael Simms, Naomi White, Gina Kalabishis, Michael Gromm, Chelsea Gustafsson, Margaret Ackland, Christine Willcocks, Janne Kearney & Julie Davidson. Expect the unexpected!

ARTIST STATEMENT FOR ON THE FRINGE:

MARGARET ACKLAND - A lone figure is at the centre of each of these works. The astronaut is far from earth but the grainy images are observed by so many on black and white TVs. On a cold San Francisco morning a man holds a sign hoping for help and in New York another pushes everything he owns along the street at night. These men are mostly unobserved or even deliberately ignored.  All three face the abyss.

JULIE DAVIDSON - Landscape after Claude Lorraine: In past exhibitions I have made reference to historical works as a tribute to and celebration of an unbroken connection with past practices and therefore claiming ownership through reinterpretation. Late Autumn, Exhibition Gardens: This painting was born purely out of a desire to depart from my usual, almost hyperreal style to a looser interpretation of a familiar landscape. The aim was to capture the essence of a place and to evoke a feeling and time rather than a specific scene.

MICHAEL SIMMS - Michael Simms’ practice is characterised by dream-like depictions his subjects that combine elements of classicism, romanticism, surrealism and psychology to create emotionally charged scenes in his paintings. For the works in ‘On the Fringe’ Michael drew inspiration from the symbolic representation of horses throughout history to create disquieting, almost apocalyptic environments. Horses, so often associated with a sense a movement, nature and freedom, are juxtaposed against harsh metallic surfaces and vivid light, crafting a unique tension within each painting. 

NAOMI WHITE - I chose to work with wood in two different ways for On The Fringe. The first piece Summer Field is a landscape intricately carved out of wood then hand printed onto delicate paper. In this scene the wildflowers in the foreground are swaying in a gentle breeze under the protective cover of a tree’s twisted old branches. The technique of the wood cut gives a stark simplicity to these familiar surrounds, the black and white image distilling the elements to their purest forms producing a striking outcome. In my second piece Landscape Construct I painted onto wood then cut the wood into even pieces that can be moved around to make endless combinations. This gives the audience a chance to interact with the artwork, making their own image and being part of the creative process. This piece is also a landscape, but I kept the painting simple with just sky, sea, and vegetation, so when the blocks are moved into different positions they can make a clean but bold image. Working outside my normal practice created new challenges that I answered step by step to create my final pieces. The precise nature of my usual painting style was obviously welcome here. I hope you enjoy them

CHRISTINE WILLCOCKS - Abstract in Green, takes on the qualities of the Art Provera movement of the 60’s and 70’s. These fabrics have been with me for many years, some found, some brought back from travels while others are parts of clothing worn. As it is usual in my practice to use a variety of mediums, textiles was one of the last and most challenging materials I’ve used so far. This particular piece looks back to a time lost when it was common practice for woman to sew. Abstraction and colour usually take a back seat in my work but here I was able to explore both in deliberation, representing the intense greens of my home in the forest punctuated by intense reds and pinks. Poor Art finds it’s place.MICHAEL GROMM - My art practice is an exploration of contrasting methods as I work to strike a balance between controlled and chaotic applications. Being a multi-method based painter, I enjoy the journey and process of creating a finished painting. In these works, the colour fields are strictly organised in the way that the paint is applied, but within the process of colour selection lays a discourse of randomness. The result is a harmonious conversation about colour, light and the physical process of painting.

JANNE KEARNEY - I was inspired to paint this series as part of my training in the 80’s as an apprentice painter and decorator. Our training included working in depth with colour theory and its illusionary aspects.

CHELSEA GUSTAFSSON - Coming off the back of producing a series of works that predominantly focuses on the chair as subject matter, I have used this as a starting point and from there I’ve taken a leap from my usual approach. My comfort zone sits within exploring images represented in a realistic manner. Using oils there is time to consider and scrutinise a work between wet layers. Everything is pre-planned before it is even drawn up onto the surface. ‘Water’ and ‘3am Dregs’ have been composed somewhat spontaneously and laid down quickly in acrylic, graphite, pastel (and some finishing touches in oils!). Impulsive marks, thoughts and objects quite literally captured and contained in their wooden boxes.

GINA KALABISHIS - ‘I would say that Fringe has granted me the freedom to play upon ‘styles’ in portraiture and shell work that I would otherwise not embark on - so with slight nerves, a why not attitude, no limitations, not fitting into any style is liberating.’

JO DAVENPORT - With the lack of my usual studio I have started exploring the human figure and it has been a pleasure to get back to basics of drawing. I love the use of charcoal and the freedom of movement that it gives. While I appreciate the reasoning behind all those years of traditional training when it comes to drawing the figure, I now prefer to abstract the figure as I do in my landscapes, focusing on the line of the body, the movement and the flow it creates.  I enjoy that felt experience of drawing. It is important to appreciate the science behind the process, to understand the traditional process – how to create form and perspective. “You need to learn all the rules then break them”.