In Praise of Small Things
Anita Reynolds, Lucy Spink and Rebecca Walklett
A printmaker. A metalsmith. A jeweller. A bond forged in landscapes of great drama ingrained with the marks left by centuries of human habitation.
A collaborative exhibition of works by three makers in response to the moorland and coast of Dartmoor and West Penwith through shared practice and artists residencies.
Lucy and Rebecca already knew each other and decided to apply for a residency together in Cornwall. It was an invaluable experience for them both, so much so, they applied for another one a year later. This residency was on Dartmoor, and where they met Anita. All three makers have established craft practices, the connection between them comes from their shared passion for landscape and how important it is to each of them. These places are connected by the granite batholith that underpins them and the abundance of life that clings to it.
All three women also shared a personal narrative, that of having recently relocated, or about to move their homes. This common thread has become woven into their pieces.
They had conversations about how important it is to feel secure and settled in order to be creative. This, plus a mutual love and fascination for lichen, strata and fault lines in rocks, pathways and maps all fed into their respective practices.
Working in collaboration for this exhibition and seeing the familiar landscapes through the eyes of each other has highlighted different perspectives and enabled them to explore new forms and textures. The connection has acted like a reverberation with each maker conjuring unique pieces from the same geographical place. They share those experiences through their craft and present each other with a different point of view. These then influence how to move forward.
Residencies give artists the freedom to be fully focussed and immersed without any distractions. They offer the excitement of potential, looking and experiencing the landscape without expectation of how it will translate into work, but knowing it will. Coupled with having each other to offer critical feedback, encouragement and creative conversations, these meetings were the start of a journey that became powerfully motivating.
About the exhibitors
“My jewellery is inspired by ancient Cornish and Devon landscapes and the tiny details I find on my daily walks near my studio in Cornwall. I am fascinated by how closely our lives were once bound to the rhythms of nature and use a small element of gold to represent the importance of the natural environment.”
“For me the landscape of Penwith & Dartmoor is about form, pattern & texture and the sense of very old time. I love the evidence of human interaction with the land, particularly the Bronze age circles and other architecture. It speaks of a culture that we will probably never fully understand but I have a sense that their understanding of the earth, the sky and a spiritual life was a community based knowledge. This gives me an odd sense of loss but also of reconnection.”
“We are hardwired to walk through the landscape. Humans have an innate sense of safety when on hilltops and when hearing birdsong. We feel calm when amongst trees and by water. My prints are a reminder that we are all deeply rooted to landscape and have an intrinsic need to access it. I capture the unpredictable nature and ever shifting moods of Dartmoor and the traces left by human habitation and intervention. My works are a call out to reconnect and celebrate the slowness and quiet that is felt when visiting the moorland, they are places of solace and comfort to those who visit them.”
Plan your visit
Open Tuesday - Saturday, 10am - 5pm.
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