Jo Howe

Jo Howe / Events / Thu 26 Feb to Mon 06 Apr 2015 (1 month)

Paper, Scissors, Stone - Taking paper beyond

Paper, Scissors, Stone - Taking paper beyond

With very different yet complementary styles of work, a constant theme for all four artists is the re-shaping of paper, narrative and meaning. Books, newspaper and other objects or settings are used in a way that re-interprets both the materials and the world around us. Janie Graham brings discarded books back to life in her intricate yet playful sculptures that just shout craftsmanship and attention to detail. Communication, meaning and sub-texts are deeply explored by Jo Howe in the fragmented and reworked books that take on entirely new forms in her capable hands. Caroline Lumb continues her love of all things paper, including hand-dyed papers, additionally melding these with paintings. Language, calligraphic imagery and colour fields, alongside newspaper tapestries form the basis for Hillary Taylor's drawings and mixed media work.Paper Scissors Stone truly is a cohesive collection from these four artists.

“I'm very excited to be part of this ongoing collaboration, especially as new ideas emerge and also seeing how things have come together over our meetings and discussions” says Janie Graham, who creates exacting sculptures around books and found or vintage items. She continues “I love the challenge of marrying books and their original content or purpose with the forms and new narratives I create, re-purposing previously unwanted objects that become integral components of my work.” Janie's sought-after pieces are widely seen around the UK.

Jo Howe is well known for her carefully constructed sculptural objects “I select materials by considering the aesthetic quality of text and relevance of the book's title, working with old manuscripts that bear the physical imperfections and aromas of past human handling and thus retain their human presence.” She adds “ By resisting meaning in purely linguistic terms I invite the reader to respond at an intuitive and emotional level.” Jo's work is held in collections around the world.

Caroline Lumb delights in taking everyday objects or scenes and homing in to create abstracts and patterns. “Textures, colours and form take on different meanings and yet they resonate with their origin.” Says Caroline, who also works with hand-dyed papers and mixed media. She continues “Making things, drawing, painting, taking photographs are an integral part of my life and this particular exploration of paper has extended and reinvigorated a long-held interest in the medium. I'm thrilled to be working in collaboration with three other such talented artists and am looking forward to seeing the exhibition up and ready to view.”

Harpenden-based Hillary Taylor works in a range of media. An engineer whose working life is often bounded by processes and calculations, she says “All around me I see everyday items and views that can be simplified, abstracted, built or viewed 'differently'. Sometimes the end result is a fleeting image that can't be captured, sometimes the end result 'just is'. Each final image or object to me is just one of many possibilities, somehow frozen in time.”.

For more information visit http://www.parndonmill.co.uk/gallery.html

Event Location

Parndon Mill

The Gallery. Parndon Mill, Harlow, Essex. CM20 2HP
CM20 2HP

Telephone: 01279 426 042
Email: info@parndonmill.co.uk
Website: http://www.parndonmill.co.uk/gallery.html

Event Details