Set in Stone
Karen Taylor
Opening: July 22 5:30 pm
Viewing: July 21 until August 8
In this exhibition I have brought together work from three connected themes that have been running around in my head over the last year or so.
1. Set In Stone:
Every stone tells a story of place. Each one captures and layers sediment and minerals from its environment. Over millennia, weather and water add shape and texture. Since ancient times stones have been culturally significant; we have standing stones, milestones, millstones, sacrificial stones, heating and healing stones, as well as various types of stone used in construction. Here, using ‘stone models’ I have recreated some stone stories. These clay ‘imposter stones’ are finished by burnishing and, after firing, polished with cold wax to add sheen, allowing me to avoid glazes as much as possible.
2. Weights and Anchors:
Stones were the earliest forms of weights and anchors used by people fishing from boats. In the process of forming my weights and anchors (after a visit to a maritime archaeological museum) I began thinking about them in a metaphorical context, about what anchors us, what weighs us down, and what the difference is between the two.
3. People, Places, Politics:
That question led on to thinking about place, position, family, and the accident of birth, which provides these, as well as our geographical location – and the societal expectations and restraints that accompany the culture we are born into. For some these provide a sense of security and belonging – an anchor – while for others it can lead to a life of uncertainty and repression, where the social mores of their culture become an oppressive weight.
{ Emerge Gallery }
