Art in black and white
Studio Cennen welcomes artists working in monochrome this month, writes Jenny White...
The latest exhibition at Studio Cennen at Ffairfach in Carmarthenshire marks a departure from the colourful shows usually curated by owner Brigid Loizou.
With a background in clothing design, she’s accustomed to working with a broad palette, but for this show she restricted the colours to monochrome – greyscale, to be precise.
The idea for the show came partly from the Art at the Hall exhibitions which she curated prior to opening her gallery, where there would be one bay comprising solely black and white pieces.
“It always looked so fantastic,” she says. “Because I love colour so much myself and I think of myself as a colourist, I always admire people who can work in a tight palette. In my own style and in my own home, I always embrace colour, so it was it was a bit of a challenge for me to see what a monochrome exhibition could look like.”
As she always does for her shows, she notified gallery artists of the theme and waited to see who would like to contribute work. She was impressed, and often surprised, by the responses: “A lot of people said they’d like to join me on that show. And some of them were the colourists – Georgie Richardson, for example, is all about colour, all about flowers, and she wanted to join.
“I was quite taken aback by some of the artists who agreed to join me for the show, whereas others, such as the ceramicists, already work in black and white so it was natural to invite them.”
Exhibitors include artists working in a wide range of media – Clarissa Galliano (charcoal), Myles Mansfield (outdoor garden sculpture), Ed Ap Loud (ceramics) and Neil Williams (a stick chair maker) to name just a few.
The show, which runs until May 1 with viewings by appointment, has a different feel from previous shows at the gallery, which always combine elements such as crafts and furniture alongside fine art.
“This show is looking the most ‘gallery-like’ because normally I try to make things much more homely,” says Brigid.
“This show is really exciting because it’s quite architectural, quite graphic. There is lots of texture as well, in the different mark makings and with the sgraffito, the charcoal and pencil drawings and the black wood cuts, so it’s got a real authenticity to it and it’s really pure.”
■ Monochrome: Greyscale runs at Studio Cennen, Ffairfach, Llandeilo, until May 1. More details at www.studiocennen.com