Whitney-Anne Baker Steve Brown Ruth Carpenter Clare Heaton Angela Hilton Karen Tarr
An exhibition at TAAG Gallery #2, Teignmouth 5-11 November 2016
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Whitney-Anne Baker
All the Fun of the Fair ‘I like the Bumper Cars but always worry I’ll get whiplash’ (2016) ‘Hot Chips on a Friday Night’ (2016) ‘Sweet Treats for you and a Coke for me’ (2016) ‘Ketchup or Mustard’ (2016) Acrylic paint over photocopies of original photography Taking photographs at the fair, in the still moments, before the crowds all turned up, I was intrigued by the experience of being on the outside looking in. But art has a tendency to decide for itself what it’s about. The titles suggested themselves and I realised that they tapped into memories of trips to the Fair as a teenager; my best friend, Jo and I, in our flares and tank tops, trying to look casual, looking to see if the boy you fancied was there with his mates. The smell of fried onions competing with that of candyfloss. Saved up pocket money stretching to a portion of chips, a coke, a few of our favourite rides and then the bus ride home. The finished works are, perhaps then, a mix of both these things.
Contact: strangeartworld@hotmail.com Website: www.strangeartworld.com
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Karen Tarr
‘Plankton’ (2016) Charcoal on paper ‘Bleached’ (2016) Cartridge paper, Japanese Kozuke paper and plant-based wax.
Work inspired by marine coral ecosystems. As coral skeletons crumble in the aftermath of mass mortality due to warming seas, acidity and pollution, habitable space for fish, invertebrates and hosts of others dwindles. The reefs are haemorrhaging life, and, as they empty, their colour and ability to support human needs and livelihoods is lost.
Contact: studio@karentarr.co.uk Website: http://www.karentarr.co.uk/
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Angela Hilton
‘I've Measured Out My Life in Coffee Spoons ...‘ (2016) Contact lenses, invisible thread ‘Vene, Vidi, Vinci’ (2016) Contact lenses, etymological pins ‘Untitled’ (Framed faces) (2014) Wood, card, plaster and resin. ‘Untitled’ (Ceramic box with bone) (2015) Ceramic, ground bone and bone ‘Untitled’ (Jigsaw piece) (2016) Canvas, paint, 35 year old jigsaw 'Les Eglises de Rheims' ‘Untitled’ (Laser cut) (2015) Jigsaw box, laser cutting My current practice involves the consideration of overlooked, discarded personal materials, and the messages these might hold in finding a form to accommodate the mess.
Contact: anghilton1@hotmail.com
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Steve Brown ‘New World Order’ (2015-2016) ‘Collateral Damage’ (2015-2016) Poster reproductions of photo collages, drawings, and text. These pieces started as zine pages when intervention in Syria was being proposed in 2015. Unfortunately they remain relevant and have been updated this summer with new faces and text. ‘Birds Over Syria’ (2016) Mixed media A piece about the suffering being inflicted upon the people of the Middle East by the US, UK and their allies. ‘No Surrender’ (2011) Collagraph A rallying call and a tribute to the boxer Muhammad Ali. ‘Fame’ (2016) Stuffed rat A tribute to David Bowie but also about identity, mortality and our 15 minutes in the spotlight ‘Influences’ (2016) Text ‘Remember the Whistleblowers’ (2016) Text My practice mainly combines photo collage and text to comment on what is happening in the world. I am interested in the relationship between art, politics and activism - the subject of my dissertation.
Contact: stevebrownartist@gmail.com Website: www.stevebrownart.co.uk
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Ruth Carpenter
‘Plaster Forms’ (2016) There is both a sense of connection and of separation as the two halves of the plaster forms rest on each other. ‘Layered Card’ (2015/16) The card structures are created by planning very subtle shifts in the shaping of each layer. A fascination with the natural sculptural process of erosion has inspired me to create gentle curves and contours within my work. Shells, pebbles, skulls and the human form have all left their traces.
Contact: ruthcarpenter18@gmail.com
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Clare Heaton ‘Wool gathering’ – Diary vessels (2016) My intention was to create a visual diary of my walks over the summer of 2016 most of which were with my dog Figgy. Using locally sourced and rare-breed sheep's fleeces I have made vessels which are physical manifestations of my experience and connection with nature. Beside each vessel will be some written text, a diary, a record or observation. The vessels are matted together with sentiment, memory, conversations, walking, finding, feeling, hearing, knowing, not knowing, meetings and reverie. Emotions are felted into the vessels with longing, fear, discovery, regret, solitude, sadness, hope, joy, tranquility. There are random thoughts infused with the moment, a moment in time or close experiences. They can be fused with an interruption, the music or program I may be watching, the thoughts of the day - the news, a phone call, my mood, the moon. A diary intercepted with a fleeting thought, a judgement, a fear, a fact. There is a magic in the making, an alchemy, the subtleties in the natural colours exhilarating. There is always an element of chance and surprise. The unpredictability of throwing in different ingredients is exciting. In making them I hope to capture the essence and spirit of nature. There is an unintentionality, synchronicity, a kind of fate. There are conversations, offerings and gifts. Tears, laughter, anger, mood, blood, breath, intention are felted and enveloped in the vessels They can be an offering and a form of worship. There is a meditative process in the making, a herbal healing in the ingredients. There maybe a wanting to nourish or a seeking nourishment, a baking, displacement baking, a bowl of food. There is a point at which I want things to hold on - where they are tentative and I have to let them go, let it be what it will be, let things detach even when it means the whole is less beautiful. I can't control it. There is an unpredictability and it can't be rushed, it has to be done with the right intention. Crone pot, dark cauldron, enchanted chalices, vessels of the soul. They suggest shaman, witch, folk and fairy lore, wise woman, wicca, messenger, womb, nest, soul, magical vessels. There is a poetry in the making. There is struggle and discomfort and failure which sometimes can be redeemed and sometimes not.
Contact: clare.s.heaton@btinternet.com
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Exhibition Notes Mistaken Identities refers to the fact that we all have multiple roles, jobs and identities in our everyday lives. As artists, these may be mirrored in our work, but the work only reflects parts of who we really are. Several artists showing in this exhibition graduated from Exeter College with FDA degrees in 2015 - Steve Brown, Ruth Carpenter, Clare Heaton, and Karen Tarr. Steve is finishing a BA in Fine Art at Plymouth College of Art in 2016/17, as is Angela Hilton. Whitney-Anne Baker sells her digital art online at strangeartworld.com. Our previous exhibitions at TAAG were Summer Break (2014), and Art and Politics (2015).
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