'Darkness to Light' Exhibition at the Octagon

DARKNESS TO LIGHT 

22 - 30 June (open 10 - 6pm) 

 The Octagon Chapel, Milsom Place, Bath

 Kim Baker | Ione Rucquoi | Gill Rocca | Bobbie Russon 

Patrick Haines | Rose Sanderson | Neil Moore | Mike Newton 

Kristin Vestgard | Cathy Lewis | Beth Carter | Natalia Komis    

   

Being human we are naturally drawn to the light, and with a constant transition we find ourselves performing set rules and functions to find some sort of balance.  

Rituals of various kinds become central to our society past and present; performed for their symbolic value as well as their functional value- religious, traditional, journeys, or even daily routines form an almost compulsive ritualistic approach to our existence. Ceremonial acts and the performance of these acts, religious or otherwise, have been ever present in the world in which we live in.

Highlighting who we are and what we do, from the simpler things in life to the more hidden, Darkness to Light explores a common human urge to perform ritual motions.  

Works include new paintings by Norwegian painter Kristin Vestgard,London based painter Kim Baker, and new photography by gallery artistIone Rucquoi.

bo.lee gallery is very pleased to be working with Anthony Hepworth Fine Art to bring Cathy Lewis's 'Father, Tread Lightly' to The Octagon Chapel; a perfect setting for such a dramatic installation.   

Kristin Vestgard believes that her paintings are the "voice of (her) silence". The paintings stand alone, in their own quiet stillness and beauty. Vestgard finds a way to capture the emotions conjured up, whether they are secrets about ancestors or about our very own human nature, and helps us realise them in ourselves. Though no sound is present - this then becomes one of those moments that you have to witness to understand.

The natural world holds juxtapositions and performs its own rituals too -

Patrick Haines highlights the essence of our own beliefs in connection to nature and finds beauty in the simplest of things. Incorporating spiritual belief, myths and imagination in these stunning sculptures that stand alone in magnitude but are in fact a part of a wider, more emotionally charged experience. Recognizing the uneasy balance between the man made and the natural we have become a part of an established routine - we are therefore called to worship both.

Bobbie Russon helps us realise the inner emotions, hidden truths

and beliefs. Approached through an almost meditative ritualistic sense, Russon draws directly from the subconscious, through her own childhood experiences  she creates an atmosphere of unease that follows through to the very core of our human nature. It is almost impossible to feel nothing, there will inevitably be a numbing sense of loss, an overwhelming sensation to feel connected.

  

Kim Baker's Dark Gardens series of paintings explore a world of enchanted fairytale gardens and investigate the notion of a magical landscape where plant-like organic forms appear and disappear from view, giving each painting its own unique space and rhythm.

Influenced by Carvagios chiaroscuro (Dark and Light) and sometimes taking imagery directly from great masters, Kim Baker takes the viewer on a journey through childhood tales, poetry and historial traditions of medieval myth. Kim Baker is represented by Opus Art and will be showing with bo.lee gallery for this one-off show.    

In her new series Ione Rucquoi presents a series of Female Saints, all bearing gold halos. They are reminiscent of the saints depicted on Roman

Catholic playing cards, which have been re-represented by Rucquoi using images of the contemporary woman depicted nude, vulnerable, yet powerful. A symbolic image is combined with a contemporary twist: A dead lamb, thorns protruding from a woman's face, and a bride to be, bearing all.  

Cathy Lewis's sculptures are concerned with cultural identity.  A child is taught and influenced by the culture it is surrounded by, but how important it is to retain a cultural heritage, although we can learn and share from one another. Referencing architecture and history that has shaped how we find the world today, Children are placed into the kind of setting where traditionally you would expect to see historical or religious figures.

Cathy Lewis's sculptural installation reflects a past which is propping up the future.