Walking the Stone, a solo exhibition of work by renowned abstract artist Mark Surridge at Tremenheere Gallery in collaboration with Coates and Scarry runs 12th – 29th August.
Walking the Stone references and takes its inspiration from ancient sites in Cornwall, either in the form of megalithic structures or solitary monolithic stones positioned in the Cornish landscape. Throughout his career Surridge has explored the mystery of these landscapes, with recent work culminating in this lyrical exploration of Cornwall’s’ legendary sites.
Surridge’s signature abstract approach finds a new layer of lyricism and depth with this new body of work, drawing on both his extensive back catalogue of abstract work and a newer levity with colour. The finished paintings are a distillation of his experience, searching for aspects of emptiness, calm and simplicity, hovering somewhere between abstraction and figuration. Walking these ancient locations, Surridge uses GPS to map his whereabouts, and imagines the shapes his walks might create from start to finish, combining the modern technology with ancient monuments, purist abstraction with mystical landscape. The ancient sites visible in the works are overlaid with urban gestural elements or lines that appear almost as graffiti mark making on the painterly surface.
Surridge is based in Cornwall where he lives in a converted Chapel in Crelly and works in Helston where he has a studio at the renowned Cornubian Arts & Science Trust (CAST).
This summer Tremenheere Gallery will be open on the reduced times of Wednesday – Saturday, 11am – 4pm. Closed Sunday – Tuesday. The number of visitors allowed inside either gallery at one time will be limited and a one-way system will be in place. Gallery admission is FREE! ‘Mark Surridge: Walking the Stone’ will run in the upper gallery, 12th – 29th August.
Image: Mark Surridge, Stone-cut Voice Earth, d. 50 cm, acrylic and ilmenite on panel.