Perception, see what you feel

October, 14 - JULY 31st 2021

Our exhibition celebrates over 30 artists and designers who’s works take on unique
perception and mood using colour, texture and pattern.

Patterns and textures surround our everyday life. We are encircled by them whether we choose to pay attention or not, from the order we approach our daily activities to the material in which we choose to clothe ourselves. In this exhibition, we have showcased what would usually go unnoticed or taken for granted as usual routine and made it the focal point.

The exhibition celebrates the work of 30 local artists, who display their own unique take on texture and pattern in 30 different ways. Our artists explore this idea through a range of mediums and subjects, yet all link through their inspiration or use of both natural and manmade textures and patterns.

The aim of the exhibition is not simply to draw one to the indiscriminate beauty of pattern and texture, but to provoke questions in the viewers mind – How does this make me feel?

With the vast contrast of colours and themes from one side of our gallery to the other, the viewer is coerced not only to see, but to feel the calmness surrounding the natural sea scenes of Sharon Barnes and delicate patterns within Tracy Fox’s textile art. This is then juxtaposed by taking a few steps further into the riot of colours surrounding the lively strokes of TammyWalter’s tulip painting and the arbitrary approach of Alison Gregory’s fluid art masterpieces.

The ceramic art of Jessica Wright demonstrates how texture and pattern can be conveyed simultaneously. Dwelling on the subject even more so, her entire process of creating her pieces relies heavily on the texture of her clays, creating a different outcome each time and therefore perfectly marrying these two themes in each piece.

It is obvious that as humans, what we see impacts our feelings. Our current exhibition further explores how patterns affect how the mind imagines the texture to be. This is exceptionally demonstrated by Jane Fairhurst in her series ‘Fetishes for Uncertain Times’, the image depicted on the painted canvases immediately appear as ‘soft’ and ‘spongy’, which is then confirmed by ‘The Power of Three’ textile sculptures displayed alongside.

As you wander through our exhibition, note the contrast in mood from one area to the other, think about the impact this has on your feelings, and be completely absorbed by your surroundings of texture and pattern.

Exhibition Artists

Sharon Barnes

Tracy Fox

Jane Fairhurst

Jill Iliffe

Laura McNicholas

Bethan Corin

Sam Rowena Taylor

Micaela Schoop