Records of matter in motion and responses to changing material states were explored in this exhibition which discusses drawing and mark making through an examination of the practice of three contemporary artists; Simon Finn, Ruth Simons & Jayne Wilton.
The Gallery
17/03/14–11/04/14
Surge
Ruth Simons, Jayne Wilton, Simon Finn
In Surge, the concept of ‘the line’ and the dominant place that drawing holds in each selected artist’s practice is discussed through considering the impact of drawing in the process of making digital, photographic and sculptural work, whilst acknowledging the potency of the unique and fragile hand drawn mark on paper.
The use of traditional drawing techniques and materials are contrasted with processes which animate drawings, document drawing, or become three dimensional drawings.
Simon Finn’s practice includes, drawing, animation and sculpture and forms a continued exploration into the variable syntheses between artist, environment and technology. Finn utilises the spatial and temporal capabilities of virtual representations as subject matter that comes into being somewhere between experimental verification and poetic speculation. The range of static imagery generated through computation is staged and then re-imagined with the hand, using traditional drawing processes, and advanced machinery. This process allows Finn to observe an otherwise unattainable rupturing of time and facilitate a faceted network of production.
Ruth Simons’ work raises questions about our relationship with nature, touching on issues of ecology, mutation and climate change. The randomness of nature and the associated aesthetic of patterns and systems is a catalyst for her practice. Simons previously studied Metallurgy, Economics and Management at The University of Oxford and this interest in science and materials underpins her research.
Jayne Wilton explores the breath as a unit of exchange between people and their environments. Her practice uses darkroom processes with drawing, photography, video and sound to capture the usually invisible trace of breath as it moves across a surface. She graduated with an MA from The Slade School of Fine Art in 2010 and has shown extensively in the UK and abroad.
George Mogg is an artist, curator and Registrar of Exhibitions at the Courtauld Gallery. Previously she was the Collection Curator for Brunel University London and graduated with a BA in Fine Art from Oxford Brookes University in 2004 and from the Courtauld in 2012 with an MA in Curating the Art Museum.
Artist(s)
Curator(s)
George Mogg