Exhibition at the Old Rectory Museum
ARTISTS Beryl Miles, Amerjit Young, Glenda Thomson and Mary Byrne - who all live on the same Loughborough street - are launching an exhibition at the Old Rectory Museum in Rectory Place, Loughborough.
It will take place on Saturdays between 11am and 3pm from September 14 to October 19. Admission is free.
Their exhibition is called ‘Connections’. The four artists decided that, instead of showing their own current projects, they would make work that specially connected with the Museum through its building, its historical contents and through the history of the people who have lived there.
There will be a preview event on Saturday, September 14, from 11am-3pm when the public can meet all the artists.
The artists spoke about their work and how it connects with the Old Rectory.
Beryl Miles said: “My work began by focusing on the stonework of the building and then developed into studies of reflected light on stone floors. I am always trying to achieve a satisfying balance between subject and form and between literal, suggestive and abstract qualities.”
Amerjit Young said: “The building and surrounding landscape is a constantly changing pattern with its many histories. Using the Rectory carvings as my starting point, I have taken the traditional medieval forms and have abstracted them into small-scale sculptures and a mixed media installation. The installation consists of frottages taken from the external walls and hung inside occupying the spiral staircase.
“This exhibition reflects my past works that have taken inspiration from my family’s South Asian roots and the use of repetitive pattern within our culture.”
Glenda Thomson said: “My immediate response to the actual space - I see textures and manmade markings. This is a place of collections, so I have tried to bring this into the pieces that I have in the cabinet display. This was achieved using the blank texture of some of my older works to create the base for the painted pieces. The marks and collage elements predominantly are inspired by the stonework and wood of the building.
“I’ve enjoyed experimenting with paint and colours so that it’s not intended to be an obvious copy of the surroundings, but a statement in itself.”
Mary Byrne added: “I wanted to look at the people who lived in the building. I have researched some of the lives of the servants and display those along with drawings and paintings of how I imagine they looked. I also have creative writing as well as art positioned beside some objects in cases upstairs.”