EBB AND FLOW
- Jan 15
- 2 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
SIXTEEN GALLERY | 28 MAY – 3 JUNE
TONIA REES AND KATH COOPER PRESENT EBB AND FLOW.
BRINGING TOGETHER YET HIGHLIGHTING THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THEIR MIXED MEDIA COLLAGE WORK.
Bold shape and colour flow through Rees’s work exploring chaotic order and disorder through layers of collage and paint. Sometimes secretive but often playful Rees’s work allows the viewer to appreciate close texture and form as well as the overall considered composition.
Cooper’s work explores the themes of the calming effect of being in nature through the meditative and rhythmic process of hand building with clay. Soft glazes, colours and tactile surfaces offer the viewer a way to connect with the beauty of the natural world.
Together, in Ebb and Flow, both artists work promise a visual feast of shape, form, colour and texture in this week long exhibition.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
TONIA REES
"Shape, colour and pattern in the outdoor/indoor environment all inspire me and help as starting points for the abstract compositions I produce. I like to play with
positive and negative space to make the general overall composition work. Collage plays an important part in my work. I specifically use collage images from art magazines and photocopies of artwork from art lessons I tutor. I like the idea of text and images being buried, reworked, reformed as part of something new.
Sometimes secretive, sometimes playful, I never tire of collage papers assisting in the creative process. I love the thrill of new collaged material going over the top of
other marks to create something completely new and energetic from my perceived idea of the completed composition. With the way I work you must be brave, nothing is precious until the final scene unfolds at which point my work becomes like a visual jigsaw, fitting the last seductive, collage pieces in to compliment the whole composition."
KATH COOPER
" My work with clay begins with a desire to create objects that offer a sense of calm and quiet presence. I want my pots to carry a stillness, inviting a moment of reflection.
At the heart of my recent work is a deep connection to trees and wooded landscapes. Being surrounded by trees offers a profound stillness, and I aim to translate that peaceful experience into the form, texture, and surface of my pots.
Using coiling and pinching, I embrace the mindful rhythm of hand- building. These slow, meditative processes are not only grounding but also echo ancient and primitive ways of making. Each pot becomes a paused moment in time, my connection to the clay. The outer surfaces reflect the form and bark of trees, as well as the smoothness of burnished clay. The interiors are inspired by sky, water, and open space, mirroring the interplay between the internal and external world, much like meditation.
Through soft glazes, colours, and tactile surfaces, I hope these pieces offer a way to connect with the quiet beauty of the natural
world."
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