The meeting of the sea and sky
Jane Fremantle offers the exhibition Song of Sea and Sky at Chichester’s Oxmarket Gallery running from September 28-October 3.
Living and working now in her studio in Chilgrove, Jane grew up on the South Downs.
She explained: “This exhibition takes its inspiration from the energy of the sea and the way in which the sea reflects and meets the sky.
“I love to stand on the cliff edge and look at the ever-changing patterns and textures. I’ve had two years to plan and make work for this solo show, which sounds a long time, but hand-carving stone is a slow process.
“I’ve used alabaster, soapstone and Portland stone in many colours and textures to convey the movements and energies of waves, sea creatures, birds and the wind that blows across them.
“For my titles I’m borrowing names from Greek mythology such as Tethys, a primeval goddess of water, and Scylla and Charybdis, the famous hazards of the sea.
“When I’m starting to think about an exhibition, I visit the stone yards and select pieces that have the dynamic shapes and textures that I want.
“It’s then a back-andforth between the stone’s qualities and my inspirations and feelings until a finished piece emerges. Many of my sculptures celebrate the natural surface of the stone and juxtapose worked and unworked areas. I think I am lucky to work with a material that starts with so much natural beauty and character.
“To give some context to the sculptures, I’m showing some of my photographs and ink paintings of a particularly inspiring part of County Kerry, Ireland. It’s a place I’ve visited for the last 27 years, and the more I get to know the landscape, the more beautiful it becomes to me. Ink paint is a good medium for a dynamic landscape as it’s very freeflowing and expressive.
“I hope people will enjoy looking at the sculptures and get a sense of the beauty and mystery of sea and sky that I feel. I plan to be at the exhibition most days and hope to meet and talk with lots of people. It’s always helpful to hear reactions to my work and interesting to learn about other people’s lives and approaches to art.”