Can sculpture show a new side to nature? Babara Cole's impressive physical art suggests so: connecting with the landscape and uncovering the incredible wild processes at work within. Her drawings and sculptures in particular capture the
various structures of an evolving natural world: with an exciting exhibition opening
at Lancashire museum The Whitaker on Friday 29th April at 7pm. If you think that sculpture
is just ‘decorative’, you’ll be made to think again by the diversity on
display!
Cole’s work captures the landscape: embracing the rough with
the smooth, how it has been shaped over time – from fossil to forest, cave to
castle. She uses a range of mixed media, including modern materials, to sculpt
processes which the eye cannot typically see. Art gets behind the face of
nature! Things like the formation of fossils, the work of micro-organisms, are uncovered:
often in alluring patterns and strange textures. It certainly is unique.
'Questioning Our Identity'
Cole’s own exploration of natural environments – including
over twenty years working on the Pennine Ridge – enriches her artistry. ‘The
British Islander’ is an especially interesting title to this exhibit,
especially as the dust of the Scottish Referendum is far from settled and
discussions over the EU may lead us to question our own national identity. Her beautifully
carved and moulded structures then seem to offer a kind of answer; look to the landscape!
The Whitaker museum and art gallery in Rawtenstall, Lancashire
seems like an ideal place to enjoy this exhibition. The bold Victorian building
allows light to billow in through big windows, making Cole’s designs shimmer and
stand out. To see her work certainly is a powerful experience, as she is an
Associate of the Royal British Society of Sculptors, with a number of works
already acclaimed. It takes great skill to uncover the organic structures and
secret processes in nature, and turn these into physical art forms which make
us think, after all.
'A Comprehensive and Unique View in East Lancashire'
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| The Whitaker |
Lancashire also seems like a fitting area to host this unique
sculpture experience – as is a county recognised for its physical artworks, especially
the ‘Panopticons’. You may not have heard of this title specifically, but it is
collective term used to describe an artistic regeneration project here, featuring
sculptures such as The Singing Ringing Tree and the Haslingden Halo. These
Panopticons are structures designed to provide a comprehensive and unique view
in East Lancashire – and the other two are The Atom and Colourfields, in
Blackburn. It seems that Lancashire then is a place for iconic sculptures, and
thus that Cole’s work is coming here is even more significant.
Originally from South Wales, Cole now exhibits not just on a
national level, but internationally too - emphasizing the power of her
creations. Examples of previous work include De Rerum Natura (on The Nature of
Things) which is a biomorphic wax sculpture on a bed of dyed sand, mimicking
the crushed creatures in sediment, the fossils in a rock face. Cole’s work is
creative, uses cutting-edge techniques and is open to interpretation; so why
not treat yourself to something unique and get down to the opening at The
Whitaker?
The Friday evening
session gives guests a chance to get close to the art and enjoy the experience,
as well as considering what it is to be a ‘British Islander’. With beautiful
interiors and a fully-fitted bar, The Whitaker emphasizes the importance of art
and public interaction with it: don’t miss out.
For more information you can visit The Whitaker website: http://www.thewhitaker.org/events/a-british-islander-exhibition/
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