CONCENTUS LIZZIE FAREY
Feather I, 2017
kiln-formed glass wall panel W58 x D0.6 cms ÂŁ825
Grace Girvan outside her Fife studio, 2017
CONCENTUS LIZZIE FAREY 6 - 30 September 2017
Concentus presents a new body of work from willow sculptor Lizzie Farey. Latin for ‘harmony’ Concentus includes intricate structures that capture a still moment; a distillation and order. Calm after a storm. Intimate forms provide a hint of the process of creation. We can see and even feel points of tension in the work. Our eye can follow the artist’s hand, the choices made in twisting and turning this flexible medium. Born in Singapore, Farey has been based in rural Galloway, in Scotland’s South West for the last 30 years. The rural setting of home and studio are her guiding inspiration, her sensitivity with wood revealing an interaction with nature that is deeply personal.
Indomitus (Latin: Wild or Untamed), 2017 willow D82 cms ÂŁ1,200 Photo: Warren Sanders
Forma Fluens (Latin: Flowing Form), 2017 willow D60 cms £550 Photo: Warren Sanders
Nimbus, 2017 willow D97 cms £1,300
‘My work engages with nature. I focus on recreating the essence of natural form through the medium of willow, larch, ash, hazel and other locally grown woods. Influences from Japan continue to inspire my attempts to capture the simplicity, practicality and beauty of the materials.’ - Lizzie Farey, 2017
Leaves and Seeds, 2017 willow D82 cms £800
Lizzie Farey grows much of her own pallet of artist’s materials; planting, tending and harvesting a range of willow which is grown for both texture and colour. Willow, its flow of flex and tension is often manipulated into rhythmic patterns, Artist, willow, form, each unique, reach a perfection as the work comes together; inner creative process and final form working as one.
Concentus (Latin: Harmony), 2017 willow H90 x W94 cms ÂŁ2,800 Photo: Warren Sanders
‘I take my influences from the Galloway countryside where I live and work. I am surrounded by hills, lochs, larch and heather, the essence of which I try to recapture in my work. I grow my willow in nearby farmer’s fields and collect ash and other materials from the hedgerows. My working life is governed by the cycle of nature. The work leads me and stimulates me at the same time. The pieces that I forge create a sense of spaciousness and take on a life of their own.’ - Lizzie Farey, 2017
Meadow, 2017 willow H76 x W60 cms £750 Photo: Warren Sanders
Little Swift, 2017 willow H110 x W60 cms £450
Left: Long Boat Form, 2017, willow, H180 x W8 cms, £220 Right: Small Boat Form, 2017, willow, H130 x W7 cms, £170
Large Platter, 2017 willow H62 x W62 cms £360
Small Platter, 2017 willow H50 x W50 cms £180
Grace Girvan’s studio, 2017
LIZZIE FAREY b.1962 Lizzie Farey trained in fine art and stained glass before turning to basketry in 1991, learning the first steps from her sister-in-law in North Wales. She planted a field of willow cuttings and her passion for working with natural materials began. Always keen to try new approaches to this traditional craft, Lizzie gradually gained a strong reputation for her simple innovative forms. A cover article in Crafts Magazine in 1997 helped establish Lizzie’s career in Britain and abroad - especially in the U.S. where she started selling her work at Browngrotta Arts. This, in turn, led to numerous awards and offers to show her work in Sotheby’s New York, SOFA Chicago, The V & A London etc. In 2004 Lizzie won the BBC Homes & Antiques ‘Talent around Britain’ award, voted for by the public and sponsored by John Lewis. In 2007 Lizzie received the Creative Development Award from the Scottish Arts Council (now Creative Scotland) allowing her to pursue her new interest in ‘willow wall drawings’. These new pieces were exhibited in a solo exhibition at Edinburgh’s City Art Centre in 2010 and a large piece was commissioned for their stairwell, spanning two floors. Public collections include: National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh Priors Court School, Reading The City Arts Centre, Edinburgh The Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead