The Exhibition of Sculpture – a Local Visit
Well it is safe to say summer is finally here! I have been back home from University for around two months now and am enjoying the home comforts and relaxation under the sun. I am making the most of my free-time by once again picking up art, a much loved hobby of mine and spending my weekends on day trips out with my family.
One such day trip out (or more half day really) was to a local exhibition showcasing the sculpture work of Asia Chan-Rose. My mum had found out about the exhibition via Facebook and discovered that it was being held around a 15 minute walk from our home. So on the particularly sunny Sunday afternoon, my parents and I walked up to the exhibition. And am I glad we did! The exhibition as a whole was very beautiful and was spread out across the garden of Chan-Rose’s home. The welcome was wonderful and we got to meet both the sculptor and her husband, both of who were incredibly friendly and even offered us some tea and biscuits once we had finished walking round the exhibition.
Some of my personal favourite work that was exhibited includes a bronze resin and marble sculpture entitled ‘Leafy Swan’. My eye was immediately drawn to this piece, not because it was particular large or bold, but because of how simple and elegant it was. The fluid curve of the bronze forms an S shape in which a delicate swans head has been carved into and a smooth leaf shape spreads out from the top curve. The small glass ball found atop the leaf part adds another sense of smoothness to the piece and adds a delicate contrast between the darker bronze of the S shape and the almost shining glass ball. This faint contrast really drew my eye into the piece and made me look more in depth at the graceful sculpture and notice all the slight bumps and dents in the solid material that appears fluid from further away.
Another piece that I was drawn to in the exhibition was ‘Flow as Wind; Wind as Sword’. This stainless steel sculpture was suspended from a tree by wire. What I really like about this piece is the combination of highlights and shadows. The material reflected the surrounding landscape and the twists and turns distorted the shapes, creating streaks of highlights around the edges of the sculpture and darker segments where the bark of trees was being reflected. What really drew me to this piece was the sense of movement that is created by how the sculpture curves and twists in various ways. This sense of movement is heightened by how the reflected image would change depending on the perspective you were viewing from. Like ‘Leafy Swan’, this piece appears very elegant and strokes of light that appear on the piece create a sense of power in that elegancy.
The outdoor setting of these sculptures also really helped bring them alive and for me, heightened a sense of relaxation. The warmth of the sun with a gentle breeze combined with the fluid lines and angles, intriguing shapes and smooth textures of the sculptures, helped create a sense of tranquilly that flowed throughout the whole exhibition and brought movement and life to static objects. The work was also displayed with artist plaques, and at the bottom of each the sculptor would ask the viewer a question such as “How does this piece come about in relating to wind”. I found that this added question made me really take a moment to truly look at the work, feel my senses and use them to help build an understanding of the work I was viewing. This not only increased my engagement with the sculptures, but made me really appreciate how Chan-Rose very carefully plans out her work and how each piece has a greater meaning than being a simple sculpture.
What a lovely way to unwind and calm down, sitting in a garden, drinking tea, looking at beautiful and elegant sculptures… ahh if only every summer day could be like that!