SUMMER EXHIBITION
Gallery Gwyn showcases talented artists from all corners of Wales in this bumper exhibition of 108 artworks by 50 different artists. An exciting and eclectic mix, and a show not to be missed.
Harry Heuser
Asphalt Expressionism
In 1961 sculptor and installation artist Claes Oldenburg declared: ‘I am for the art of scratchings in the Asphalt,’ of ‘ice cream cones dropped on the concrete.’
Where is that art if not on the pavements on which we tread?
The photographs in this exhibition were snapped in New York City between 21st and September and 26th October 2022. A smartphone camera enabled me readily to capture what caught my attention.
Tom Alabama
Datganiad yr Artist
Mae Tom Dauncey yn genfigennus. Tom Alabama yw’r dawnsiwr. Feliy pwy ddiawch yw Tom Alabama? (Teimlaf fod hyn yn esbonio mwy am fy ngwaith nag y byddai datganiad artist nodweddiadol)
Artist statement
Tom Dauncey is jealous. Tom Alabama is the dancer. So who the hell is Tom Alabama? (I feel that this explains more about my work than a typical artist statement would)
Glenn Ibbitson
Artist statement
Death of Richthofen is not simply a commemoration a Great War flying ace, nor an acknowledgement of those Australian forces on the ground below him who brought his killing spree to an end. Rather, it is a tribute to my father, who devoted much of his precious free time to entertaining his son and his schoolmates. Football in the park, basic carpentry and making scale model aircraft together.
David Kilvington
Artist statement
I’m much taken with the transitory nature of everything, and yet we have our idea of security built on solidity. I’ve always embraced change and reinvention.
Due to circumstances, I’ve had to spend the last couple of years travelling, and so there hasn’t been much time for painting. This has been a good thing as it has given me the opportunity to adjust and to develop.
This series of works represents the changing landscapes of the last few years, through which I have journeyed.
I Fyny
Wales is rich with creative talent and the aim of Oriel Myrddin’s I Fyny programme has been to help cultivate this and to offer direction to those making their way through the, at times, hard going struggles that being an artist present.
The following exhibitors are just a small sample of the extraordinary group of early career artists that took part in I Fyny. Within their practice, they explore broad ranging themes of belonging, a sense of place, nostalgia, climate emergency, female empowerment, and the beauty of the commonplace.
OM would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to all our I Fyny associates, in particular those that are exhibiting here, and to Gallery Gwyn for their generosity, patience, and support.
Lola Chapman
Lola Is a West Wales based artist and is inspired by the native landscapes. Her work is not a pictorial image of a location, but rather a capturing of the atmosphere and essence of the place made physical. The work comes from a spontaneous reaction to the environment and a natural instinct that forms itself into fluid brushstrokes and marks. The painting evokes a feeling of expansiveness with no limits, and through an often unplanned process, the work develops and reveals itself
David & Lisa Hardy
David and Lisa met whilst studying at Winchester School of Art in 1995.
Lisa’s work explores the ethereal beauty of flowers through abstract botanical paintings. Working with exposing layers of paint, Lisa incorporates a muted colour palette to reveal organic compositions with a lightness of touch.
“Working in acrylic and watercolour, my work reflects my mood and feelings. I abstract the essence of what I feel and see, as my life and the seasons change my paintings change too.”
David’s work explores the relationship of painting with the intangible boundaries of thoughts and emotions. Inspired by the natural world, these atmospheric compositions aim to evoke a sense of being, engulfed in an emotional landscape. The paintings allow the viewer to be captivated and comforted, portraying an emotional state which cannot be confined to words.
Who Are We Now?
A project to commemorate the 30 years since the passing of artist George Chapman and his contribution to Welsh art. Curated by his granddaughter Natalie Chapman, this show is a celebration of the old and the new. Siblings Natalie & Rory Chapman have revisited the old haunts of their grandfather, and recorded the changes in the communities and their landscape. This has resulted in some response work by the pair, shown alongside the historic paintings made by their grandfather. The new Rhondda is in parts very different from the one experienced by George Chapman. Businesses are built on nail salons and barbers in diverse multicultural communities, set within the dark and brooding backdrop of the land that gave George Chapman his voice in painting.
Isaac Peat
As we embark on our worldly journeys, light becomes our constant companion, casting its glow upon our path. However, this project takes a daring departure by embracing the absence of light. In the solitude of my photographic pursuit, I assume the role of a creator, shaping the world with light as my brush. Within each frame, I make deliberate choices, emphasising certain elements while omitting others, offering a distinct and alternative perspective of the world.
These images, in their own unique way, become a self-portrait, capturing not my physical form, but the essence of my presence as it weaves through the passage of time. Though I am invisible, the light that accompanies me is immortalised by the opening and closing of my camera’s shutter, forever preserved within each photograph.
Tides & Currents
The paintings of Jude Westermann and Natasha Francois, and the photographic images of Zara Evans, explore themes centred on the idea of home – what remains constant through disruptions of time and place and how the interior world of the domestic space mirrors our cultural identity.The intimate and contemplative process of sewing allow the stitched portraits of Becca Noble to reflect the traces of life lived, and for the organic forms and colours of nature to inform the textile work of Lauren Ricketts and Natasha Fox-Maderson. The mundane ephemera of daily life chanced upon by Szymon Morris provide a constant source of material for his sculptural pieces. ‘By Chance’, a large scale mixed media work by Gee Kerr, also responds to the discarded, highlighting the transience seen in the graphics and logos of packaging.In her video piece, Ffion Morgan questions the reliability of memory through distorting and fragmenting a home movie made in her childhood, whilst the chiaroscuro photographic style of Peter Alick’s images reflect both the darkness of depression, as well as the light of hope in our challenging world.
Tom Alabama
‘For me to touch is to ruin’ is a painting series that encapsulates everything i feel at that particular time, where each individual piece in the series is interconnected through recurring visual motifs, serving as metaphors. I fuse feelings of guilt and confusion by painting self-portraits that scrutinise my own physical body. These paintings offer a glimpse into my own experience, self-perception, and aspirations.
Works on paper
Group show
An eclectic mix of processes, materials and imagery brings together the work of 8 artists in this vibrant exhibition. From the traditional techniques of collograph, embossing and gold leaf to the contemporary use of collage and paint . To feature Julia Griffiths Jones, Marian Haf, Hannah McQueen, Tony Styles, Natalie Chapman, Helen Duffee and Francesca Lawrence.
Angharad Taris
My work is a response to the place in which I live : the west coast of Wales. Born and raised on a farm, I developed an intimate relationship with my environment and a deep connection to the spirit of the place. I am positioned on the edge of landscape, where land merges with sea and sky. My paintings do not set out to be precise representations: they are internal and elicited by the painting process.