ela,ela press release
ela,ela press release
'ela,ela' is the innovative name under which International Artists who originally met at the Cyprus College of Art are exhibiting their latest works. ‘ela,ela’ is now exhibiting at ‘La Viande’ gallery in Shoreditch, East London, UK.
La Viande Gallery
3 Charlotte Road
London
EC2A 3DH
UK
1st – 9th September 2007
Private View 01/09/07 6-9pm
Open daily 12-6
Cyprus College of Art is a long running establishment, having forged its current roots in 1976 in Lempa, in the rural outskirts north of Pafos. The college was originally founded in 1969 by its principal Stass Paraskos. Stass' paintings hold international acclaim, yet his art and life remain firmly rooted in his home country of Cyprus.
Professional artists from around the world joined together to work in a group studio environment, engaging in challenging constructively their own work and the practice of others. Led by Stass' painterly influence, this postgraduate diploma was an invaluable source of new ideas, experimentation and a time for play, and lateral thinking within the college’s basic facilities and ethos of simple, uninterrupted making and living. Although joined by a common theme of exploring the abundance of nature, culture, history and social structures of Cyprus, artists in this show come from diverse backgrounds and experiences, originating from Great Britain, Ireland and America.
Caroline Hepburne-Scott's paintings of the natural environment and landscape place emphasis on the compositional use of space and how it may create a sense of atmosphere and peace. This is a factor she uses also in her drawing, contrasting large empty areas with an almost obsessive but quiet detail.
Alys Owen’s drawings, paintings, sculptures and installations investigate the internal rhythms and images found within nature, sexuality and human emotion. Her biomorphic forms are grounded primarily within line drawing. These are influenced by a subconscious affinity with nature and a sense of the absurdities often found in the organic.
Carys Wilson's observational drawings of organic matter are a source for exploring oil paint, playing with form, line, depth and structure. Images are pushed around to find their own space on the canvas. Relationships between line, shapes and colour are bought either to the surface or pushed back, and layers of drawings are retrieved.
Maureen Pelling works with the earth, using it both a medium for painting, and as a canvas to work on. She is inspired by the ancient symbol of the labyrinth, exploring its potential both artistically and as a tool for both prayer and meditation. Her enthusiasm as an artist is rooted in nature and the spiritual aspects of life and humanity.
A number of artists are inspired by the body. Originally an animator and photographer, painter Jennifer Kilgour finds the human body and in particular the face, an infinite quarry of inspiration. She is intrigued by the actual substance and flow of movement of oil paint, and how different colours react, mix and mingle.
Sarah Misselbrook addresses issues surrounding the body, the feminine and the feminist, drawing on personal, cultural and societal experiences. Her observations of natural life with its beauty, symmetry and perfection as well as its defense, aggression, self-preservation and ageing has provided raw material for her work.
Stephen Westbury produces landscape paintings and drawings derived from the beauty and subtle forms found in nature. He uses a technique of building up thick layers of oil paint wet on wet. This obsessive and meticulous method exaggerates the sublime and radiance in nature.
Alison Hughes is inspired by the juxtaposition of the organic and the manmade. She embraces new cultures and surroundings, encapsulated in her resin, metal, concrete and plaster sculptures. The roughness of these traditional building materials and her technique of mould making, contrasts with the fragility of her subject matter.
A number of artists work mirrors contemporary society; Philippe Murphy uses the transient elements of the natural landscape in his multimedia installations. He imitates or represents these ideas as superficially as possible, commenting on how the holiday experience can be an exaggeration of the paradise ideal.
Kate Theodore works in a spontaneous and immediate manner. Her large scale canvasses express social and political statements in a playful way. Using a stock of individual symbolism and cartoon like figures, her personal narratives are purposefully naive and energetic.
Frederick Horst’s drawing and printing works are primarily based on classical techniques and religious philosophy creating a kind of mythology that can exist in the contemporary world, using symbols and iconic images to portray, and at times personify, common themes and ideas. His painting, on the other hand, tends to be highly abstract, acting as a method of visually impressing usually formless concepts.
Derek Henry's objective is to visually explore human situations and relationships, commenting on the spiritual feelings present in relation to the myth of Aphrodite. His aim is to allow a relationship to evolve between the viewer and the painting, encouraging a strong empathy with the work.
For Clare Carter, the process of painting functions as a way to creating a particular environment that conducts a story, and exploring how these places can consume the subject and digest it. She is interested in finding spaces inside images, which can be used as a map to build new territories with the paint.
To experience the exceptional standards of these artists and makers, all are invited to the opening preview night at 6pm on Saturday 1st September 2007.
For more information please visit:
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| © 2007 ela,ela - artists from cyprus college of art. | site designed by grish art |