Natural Makers
Natural Makers opened at Touchstones Rochdale last week and features two large [for me!] collections of my work. The first is a series of made objects combining found objects and fabricated elements and includes materials such as concrete, silver, steel as well as natural materials and linen thread. The second series is a combination of found objects, complete objects and fabricated material drawings.
Next up is a solo show here in Northern Ireland which Opens at R-Space Gallery in Lisburn on January 9th. I’ll be posting more about that in the next few weeks. its going to a be busy end and start to the year!
Natural Makers at Touchstones, Rochdale.
Really pleased to be showing in Natural Makers at Touchstones in Rochdale this December. The show features a large collection of my work alongside the work of installation sculptor/willow worker Lauren Ellen Bacon whose work I love, Sharon Adams -a fellow Northern Irish maker working with wood and thread to make brushes and tool forms, and ceramicist Adam Buick whose forms speak of the landscape through form and surface treatment.
The Irish Connection at The Scottish Gallery
On Tuesday the 3rd of November The Irish Connection opens at the Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh. I am delighted to be showing in such a fantastic gallery, one I love visiting whenever I’m in Edinburgh, in such great company- makers such as Pierce Healy, Cara Murphy, Joe Hogan and Angela O’Kelly amongst others. I’m showing a set of five sketch utensils combining fine lines of silver, linen thread and gathered twigs from my many walks. They are a new series where I am playing with three dimensional drawn forms using various structures and questioning what makes an object complete.
Gathered/formed at Konsthantverkarna
Gathered/formed, my first solo show in Stockholm, opened on the 19th of September at Konsthantverkarna – and I’m only now getting up to speed again! I showed a series of pieces, many made specifically for the show, gathered objects from both Ireland and the surrounding streets in Stockholm and a set of large scale charcoal drawings directly on the wall. Konsthantverkarna is a craft collective established in 1951 and invites one international artist to exhibit in their gallery space every year so I felt very privaliged to have the opportunity to show there. It was my first visit to Sweden and I had a great time there meeting lots of lovely people, specific thanks to Esmé Alexander for all her help with curation and setting the show up ( the wall drawings was her idea). I really enjoyed the opening, meeting so many interesting people and getting feedback on the work as well as having Deirdre Farrell from the Irish Embassy attend and say a few words. Needless to say I’d love to go back, Stockholm is an amazing city and the Swedish people where so friendly and welcoming. Once again I’d like to thank Konsthantverkarna for hosting me and Esmé, Cecilia and the other members of the collective who where so welcoming and supportive. Hopefully see you all soon!
A Driftline at Pollen Studios
A few weeks ago I showed a series of small material drawings at the Mak9 exhibition The Lime Walk Project at Pollen Studios. It was a series of explorations in different materials looking at simple shapes of Bobby pins, circles, cylinders, rectangles and boxes. Theses are ongoing investigations, some of which are incorporated into more complete objects while others sit as they are as I question what a complete object might be. I’m calling this type of laid out work Driftlines – it makes me think of tidelines, driftwood, flotsam and jetsam and represents a journey, wandering through a landscape of making and collecting. In this series the individual elements can be relatively simpler as they are part of a larger, more complex composition. I intend to develop this format of working in future works.
Recollections for the RUA
This year I’ve been invited to show at the Royal Ulster Academy’s Annual Exhibition at the Ulster Museum. I’m submitting Recollections and I have developed a new way of displaying the work so that it floats, allowing for shadows and silouettes to add to the work. The pieces are held in tension by steel pins so they sit unharmed off the board. The exhibition opens in October.
Material Drawings
In addition to the drawings, photographs and collecting I have been doing as part of research towards new work I have also been playing with various materials – looking at simple drawings and marks.
Looking towards larger compositions with these composed of multiple pieces. Still a way off from resolution but I’m liking where these are going.
Shoreline textures
Spent an hour or so clambering over rocks along the shoreline, you step off the path, get closer to the sea and you are in another world- even though civilisation is only a stone’s throw away. Found a variety of marks, textures, colours and materials, gathered some stones, head clicking with ideas..
Recent finds and photos
Recently looking at found marks and shapes influencing my drawings and in turn my thoughts about work and larger compositions of arranged forms. I’ve been specifically drawn to squares, circles, boxes and vessels but these photos are a few discoveries in the various landscapes I’ve been in recently- interior, urban and shoreline. I’ll be posting more about the drawing aspect later with both 3-d and 2-d drawings.
Little drawings
A few recent drawings thinking about small, long forms. These are made with acrylic ink on Fabriano paper about postcard size.
Stuart Cairns 