This month, Tremenheere reopened bursting with change, new arrivals and the wonderful welcoming of artist Lisa Wright to the gallery for her exhibition The Figure in Landscape and in the gardens with the addition of three of her sculptures.
Introducing Lisa Wright
Trained in the classical tradition at the Royal Academy Schools, London, Wrights practice is rooted in the rigour of observational drawing. Using her sketchbook and camera she records scenes of the everyday creating visual narratives for later paintings. She has spent the majority of her career chronicling the growth and development of her relationship with her children, from pregnancy to adulthood. These drawings and paintings are not just a representation of Wright’s experiences, but rather their embodiment, bringing their intangible reality into the visible world for all to recognise and relate to.
Lisa Wright talks about the truth of things, how it anchors us to the very essence of human experience. Nature, Nurture, Truth and wonderment. These are all themes she is capable of conjuring. For her, the act of drawing is a reminder of the power of line and form to distil the complexity of the world into a single image. Painting, is an act of suspension, capturing fleeting moments of her deepest thoughts, rendering them eternal. The aspiration for Wright is that her work be impactful, to be both beautiful and strange, evoking emotions that language cannot express.
In the Gardens
In 2019, Lisa Wright created a collection of sculptures for Future Forest, part of a major project to commemorate the Centenary of The Forestry Commission England. This dramatic sculptural installation took place in Suffolk’s High Lodge in Thetford Forest and consisted of ten figures who represent custodians of the past looking over our forests.
‘Amid the climate crisis, England’s trees and woodlands have never been so important for people and nature. As our centenary year draws to a close, we want people to pause and consider their role as custodians of our forests, helping us to protect and enhance them for the next 100 years,’ says PK Khaira Creswell, Director of the Forestry Commission’s centenary programme
These life-size figures formed from bio-resin and glass are based on Classical motifs including Venus de Milo, the Three Graces, David, Hyman, Cupid and Daphne. They act as a poignant reflection of the vital role that trees and woodlands play in protecting our natural environment and the next generation’s role as custodians of our future forests, and we’re honoured to have three of them in our own forest at Tremenheere.
Protection of the forests is important to us with our woodland being 200 years old in parts including species such as beech. We have an annual survey each year to check tree health and will soon be working with Tremap to map all the trees at Tremenheere.
As you wander along the river, through the woods at the bottom end of Tremenheere’s Gardens you’ll meet Daphne, Marathon Boy, and The Three Graces standing proudly and purposefully amongst the trees. Upon meeting them you’ll notice their eyes, mostly positioned to be in line with yours offering a human-like connection.
“Through their Classical character, these beautiful and youthful figures reflect the spirit of endurance that is embodied by forests: rooted in the past, relevant in the present and essential to our survival into the future.” – Forestry England
In the Gallery
Lisa Wright’s paintings hold us in the present and connect us with the past. Her intimate understanding and connection to historical painting, together with the longstanding discipline of drawing Wright has always pursued, lend authenticity and gravitas. The careful balance of both figurative and abstract elements, along with a heightened and often sensual use of colour, emphasise the vibrant and contemporary nature of the work.
Lisa Wright’s paintings hold us in the present and connect us with the past. Her intimate understanding and connection to historical painting, together with the longstanding discipline of drawing Wright has always pursued, lend authenticity and gravitas. The careful balance of both figurative and abstract elements, along with a heightened and often sensual use of colour, emphasise the vibrant and contemporary nature of the work.
Her exhibition, currently on display on the lower floor of the gallery until Friday 3rd March 2023 will be a rare opportunity to experience the range of Wright’s artistic vision and to see the development of her style over the course of her career.
Lisa’s paintings are available to view and purchase via the Tremenheere Gallery website.
The Sculpture Gardens will be open daily, 10.30am – 4.30pm with last entry at 3.30pm, admission prices apply. Tremenheere Gallery will be open Tuesday – Saturday, 11am – 4pm, closed Sundays and Mondays, FREE Entry.