28 Jan to 17 Feb, 2017
The wonderful exhibition, Four Makers, marks a coming of age for this welcome new gallery space in Norwich. It is a collegiate and inspired re-purposing of the 14th Century ossuary, or charnel house, beneath the chapel of Norwich School, once used to house the dry bones of Norwich citizens while they futilely awaited resurrection. It is now transformed into a bright and cleverly-lit gallery space, and considerable credit must go to both Norwich School and to Andy Campbell, artist, teacher and the creative projects coordinator in charge of it, for imaginatively bringing this win-win venture to fruition.
The current exhibition is curated by local sculptor, Bob Catchpole, whose own work figures alongside that of three other sculptors, Derek Morris, Ainslie Yule and Bruce Gernand. All have a long history of ‘making’ in every sense, and, appropriately in this venue, three of them also have a long record of teaching, both in schools and in art schools. Gernand, who has lectured in the past to the society on his work, produces objects that have been created in silico and then, via a rapid prototyping step, have been moulded or cast, for example Dune, cast in aluminium. Although essentially abstract, his forms are all derived from and reflect the real or natural world. Morris’s work is also firmly abstract but again is firmly rooted in the real world, in this case our experience of how we interact with the walls that always surround us, and the windows and openings that penetrate them. His Blue and Silver Relief is a winning example here.
Bruce Gernand Dune Cast aluminium 2004
Catchpole continues with his long-term project to link local making, particularly of tools, with the land, buildings and churches of Norfolk. His chimeric works, with blades, and their handles that spring, hydra-like, from them, offer a powerful reflection on what ‘hand-made’ means in our modern world. Yule’s playful, compact, mixed-media creations riff on the idea and associations of ‘goblets’ to explore community, celebration, trophies, and from there they spin off into more baroque and surreal directions. My favourite is Architectural Structure on Goblet.
Ainsley Yule Architectural Structure on Goblet Mixed media
Together, these four sculptors have more in common than first impressions might suggest. All of a certain age, and already with long professional careers, all now embrace a mature and sophisticated approach to sculpture that still manages to be both serious and light-hearted at the same time, reflecting their fun and joy in the process of making. A seriously good show in a seriously good new gallery.
28 Jan to 17 Feb, 2017
Mon-Fri 10.00 am to 5.00 pm. Sat 10.00 am to 4.00 pm