Corfe Castle at sunrise
Gallop by Harriet Meade
The Gallery at Sculpture by the Lakes presents a new exhibition, HORSE, from 13 June – 11 July at Pallington Lakes, Dorset, DT2 8QU. Horse will feature a selection of new artworks, sculpture and ceramics from national and internationally renowned artists who have a deep appreciation and specialist knowledge of horses. The selling exhibition will be the third held at The Gallery and curated by one of the UK’s leading sculptors, Simon Gudgeon. All of the artists have been chosen for their expert skill in capturing the exquisite form of the horse, as well as paying homage to its iconic status throughout history.
HORSE will feature works by Christian Hook (Gibraltar), Julie Chapman (USA), Marie Ackers (UK), Simon Gudgeon (UK), Marcus Hodge (UK), Kathryn Mapes-Turner (USA), Harriet Mead (UK), Stephanie Revennuagh (USA), Lyn St Clair (USA), Terry Miller (USA) and September Vhay (USA). Prices range from £300-£5,000.
The enduring relationship between horse and human is fundamental to the history of civilisation, and this spiritual bond is ever present in our understanding of them today. The artists in this selling exhibition capture the beauty and elegance of the equine form, as well as the spirit and energy of the animal.
Said to be the most challenging subject matter to adequately capture, there have been many notable attempts throughout history. The first representation, a terracotta mould, dates back to 2,000-1,800 BC. Whilst George Stubbs mastered the stationary horse, it was not until motion photography was invented by Eadweard Muybridge that artists understood the horses’ gait. The popularly debated question, whether all four feet were off the floor at the same time whilst a horse was trotting, was not decipherable with the human eye alone. As a result of Muybridge’s work, artists such as Edgar Degas could finally accurately depict the horse in motion.
Many of the artists are horse owners themselves, as well as professional dressage eventers and riders. Julie Chapman competed in dressage and 3-day eventing for years, which has informed her work. Similarly, Stephanie Revennuagh has owned horses from a young age, shown jumpers in South America and managed a dressage barn in Colorado. Situated within the lasting artistic equine tradition, these artists reference the historical while representing the present.
A highlight of the exhibition are the equine portraits by Christian Hook. Last year (2014) Hook won the Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year award, exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery, and his portraits of Alan Cumming and Amir Khan were bought by permanent collections: the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and Bolton Museum Art Gallery, respectively. Hook’s work often illustrates his subject from multiple perspectives in order to convey time and motion.
The exhibition also features work by artists Marcus Hodge and Terry Miller, who have recently exhibited with The Gallery at The Works on Paper Fair, London, as well as paintings by September Vhay and Kathryn Mapes Turner, both of whom have shown their paintings at the American Academy of Equine Art. The sculptural works in the exhibition include bronzes by Stephanie Revennuagh, as well as pieces by Marie Ackers who works with both traditional and modern materials, including bronze, raku and Perspex. Additionally, Harriet Mead’s celebrated sculptures, made from found objects, are a source of great intrigue.
EXHIBITION: 13 June – 11 July 2015
OPEN WEEKEND: 13 -14 June at Sculpture by the Lakes, Pallington Lakes, Dorset, DT2 8QU
Julie Chapman, The Chestnut Hunter, Oil on panel, 30.5 x 40.5 cm (Guide Price of £1,100)
