Stains and Traces has become a tradition for Hastings Arts Forum and the third exhibition on
this theme opened on the 7th February.
The idea of "representing the presence or absence of a
figure, as well as anthropomorphic echoes and resonances", originated with former HAF chairman, Ian Welsh, who does in 2014.
Curated from
open submissions, this edition of the show has thirteen participating artists who once more encompass the diversity of mediums
and messages that seems to be a hallmark of the Hastings Arts Forum.
As might be
expected with such a theme, there are dark resonances in some of the work here.
Jo Welsh presents object, collage and print works that communicate trauma and
loss associated with illness and death. Her references to X-Rays and personal
objects in the collaged print works are delicate and moving while ‘Widow’s Weeds’
and her object boxes have a much starker impact.
Sally Meakins’ photographic
series also depicts objects and scenes associated with an absent person. It signals not only their physical absence but also the complex emotions relating to such a oss. This is very effective particularly in the large and haunting image ‘Your
shirt on my chair’.
Lorrain Mailer
addresses issues of post-traumatic stress in two very different pieces. ‘The
Elephant in the Room’ is an intestinal tangle of knotted sheets suggesting both
the physical and mental impact of alcoholism. ‘Blow a kiss, Fire a Gun’ is an
empathetic homage to the desperation of refugees attempting to escape from the
trauma of war.
Caroline Sax uses
her multifarious mediums with sublime delicacy to draw attention to the amount of packaging waste that ends up in the ocean. Detailed statistics are
stencilled onto treated and painted fabric and then covered with objects that
instantly communicate the sheer volume of container shipping that is on the
seas at any given time.
Artists who focus specifically
on the human figure in this show include Raymond McChrystal whose ink and
graphite portraits and nudes are subtle, sympathetic and occasionally seem to morph
seamlessly into physical landscapes.
This merging of nature
and figure is also apparent in the work of Kathleen Fox who has placed long strips
of Australian paper bark against vibrant backgrounds allowing for multiple visual
interpretations. Trisha Neve’s delicate silk paintings similarly have multiple possibilities.
The remarkable tale
told by Nigel Oxley needs some time to fully appreciate. In a series of 6
images he tells of a love affair conducted across a gulag wall in Poland and recreated
here using the letters, objects and photos found after his fathers’ death. He has
provided folders for viewers to read that provide not only the background to
this story but also translations of the letters and words that appear in the
image series.
Brian Rybolt’s photographs
are very much about the stains and traces that are left behind in the
structures of abandoned buildings and on walls. In many of these beautifully presented
images, places and spaces often regarded as sad, neglected and ugly are shown
to be resilient and full of their own defiant character
There is not much
painting in this show but Sean Madden’s confident use of colour and paintwork provides an
anchor against which Yvette Glaze’s architectural ceramics sit beautifully. Mark Glassman’s traces of figures almost washed away by the browns of the shingle
and the sea work well with the more conceptual pieces in Gallery 2.
The final artist in
this show is Jacob Welsh but I had to leave before his work was hung so I’m afraid
he’s missing. If anyone can send me an image I will put it up.
7 Feb – 19 Feb
Private View: 10 Feb, 6.30 - 8.30pm
Private View: 10 Feb, 6.30 - 8.30pm
Click on names for links to artist websites where I could find them:
Caroline Sax
Jo Welsh
Jacob Welsh
Sally Meakins
