Slowly but surely four artists unveil their work
View(s):Muhanned Cader, Mariah Lookman, Elizabeth Porter and Alex Stewart have known each other for a while. In Elizabeth and Alex’s case, the above statement is the understatement of the year-the two have been married to each other for a long time. The four artists have styles that are different from each other, but the one thing in common was their willingness to take it slow when it came to that creative spark. When the idea for a joint exhibition was put out there, the artists took their time with their pieces for the exhibition. Two years later, finally satisfied with what they’ve created, they’re ready to lay themselves bare to the scrutiny of the public eye.
Three of the four artists: Muhanned, Elizabeth and Alex
‘Unhurried Groundswell’ is a euphemism to describe the creative process that resulted in this exhibition, says Alex, whose ‘Theatre of the Rock’ is a fascinating network of paintings in the colours of the earth. Forty eight separate images make up one single painting, each representing the geology of the interior of a rock intertwined with miniature figures. “The interior of the rock has become a network of individual lives and events,” says the artist. “The way they’re seen changes according to the images that surround it, reflecting how our lives can change on a daily basis through our powerlessness over others’ behaviour.”
Elizabeth Porter’s installation pieces are certainly something to behold. Perhaps the most striking pieces of the exhibition-and not merely for their size-are the shelters she has built from wood, seeds, bark, ash, pieces of metal and even a bird’s nest. She explains that these structures often begin as a charcoal drawing, eventually becoming ‘something I can hold in my hand’, or even occupying significant space in a gallery.
Muhanned Cader’s work is a strange hybrid of art and the photographic form called a Figurescape. The reticent artist has captured a spectrum of human emotion with his work-their stark colours and contorted human forms set against an unidentifiable landscape are sure to capture the viewer’s attention. Likewise, Mariah Lookman’s ‘See and Thirteen Others’ is highly non-conformist-the artistic equivalent of telling conventions to take a hike. The artist uses an amalgamation of words instead of pictures to communicate with her audience. “My work is about excess,” she says. “It addresses the excess hidden in pictures.
“I’m very excited at being able to exhibit with these three artists,” enthuses Alex. “They’re creating their own paths and I greatly admire their vision and practice. We all have strong links to Sri Lanka but actually met in the UK in Oxford.”
‘Unhurried Groundswell’, an exhibition of paintings by Muhanned Cader, Mariah Lookman, Elizabeth Porter and Alex Stewart is on at the Barefoot Gallery till March 10. Gallery hours are from 10 a.m.-7.pm. on weekdays and 11a.m.-5p.m. on Sundays.
-D.I.
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