October 19-31 2018
Dartington Space Gallery (formerly the Garden Room Gallery)
Artists Sara Downham-Lotto and Stacey Righton show work which has been influenced by the use of natural materials in collaborations and explorations with others. For Sara, the work is a departure from 2d into 3d work. Stacey has always been interested in using whatever materials are available; recently her palette has been the fruits of the landscape: galls, walnuts, berries.
Stacey says:
Stacey Righton’s and Sara Downham-Lotto’s art practices are very different but each artist share a common goal, simply to find time for their own practices.
This became clear after their meeting on several occasions, they would talk about their roles as Mothers, their projects involving the facilitation of creativity in others and their frustrations as artists due to a lack of consistent time for their own practice.
The idea of a ‘quiet collaboration’ was to work side by side in the ‘landscape’ of Dartington – for Stacey, the woodland and gardens, for Sara the Arts Lab studio – each recognising the value of shared experience and experimental process. The space was often filled with conversation, which became an important part of their meetings, to come together, offload (if needed) and support and encourage one another.
What has resulted is a selection of work made in a short space of time; Sara has surprised herself with the outcome of her works, achieving sculptural pieces that she has wanted to do for some time and Stacey has ventured on a stream of ideas which have sown the seeds for further work.
Sarah Downham-Lotto: Art for me needs to engage. My work is an intuitive attempt to evoke the rhythm and energy of the real world we inhabit through playful explorations in colour and light, texture and decorative abstract forms. The mixed media paintings are like living organisms, multilayered and colour-saturated. Histories are exposed through traces of layers or ‘lives’ seen beneath the surface. My large 3D work challenges the ‘walk-along-the-wall-looking-at-art’ convention. Stimulating a more active involvement with the artwork – walk around, peer through, stretch your neck to look up, bending down to see what’s underneath – the experience of looking becomes more memorable.
Stacey Righton: I respond to site by searching for available materials. The qualities of the materials entice me; I play and discover how I can change them, what can be made out of them, the origin of them and any stories or history they may portray. More recently I have been foraging for the fruits of the landscape, e.g. galls, walnuts, berries, and exploring processes of how these can be used. My life as a Mother means my time on my art is interrupted and sporadic, my work currently remains as sketches, I use photography, film and performance to document my ideas.
For more information about location and hours go to dartingtonspace.gallery