We’re delighted to be welcoming 28 members of the Royal Society of Sculptors to Tremenheere Gallery and the surrounding garden area for their exhibition Wander_land, showcasing new sculpture about landscape and wandering.
We caught up with some of the sculptors about the exhibition, the inspiration behind it, what kind of work we can expect to see, and what they enjoy most about working together.
What was the inspiration behind the curation of Wander_land?
Seamus Moran: At the end of the first “picnic day” during which a large number of the artists were given a guided tour of the gardens by owner Neil Armstrong, we sat on the grass and discussed what we had learned about the place. It quickly became apparent that the pilgrimage route which goes through Tremenheere had left an impression on a lot of us. The idea of walking with a specific purpose spawned from that and eventually morphed into “The deliberate act of walking through a landscape” Some of the artists have explored the pilgrimage idea and taken it to new places, whilst others have looked into some of the meanings that walking and landscape have on the human psyche. Each of us has found our own route and the result is an eclectic range of work with a single unifying theme.
How do you feel the exhibition’s theme fits in with Tremenheere as a place?
Mark Richards: The theme of the exhibition, landscape and wandering, was conceived as a response to the Gardens at Tremenheere and the historic Pilgrimage Path that passes through the site. In the imagination of the artists, the theme expanded into the world beyond the Gardens, was made tangible in their work, and has returned as the diverse and intriguing sculpture now on show in the Gallery and surrounding area.
Can you tell us a little about the types of work we can expect to see in the show?
Fiona Campbell: There are 28 of us – all with different styles, although there are several crossovers. Not least because of the theme, which pulls the work together, but also because along the way we draw from each other a little through our meetings. For example, I have used some branches given to me by Seamus, and rope given to me by Jane Fox, who rescued it from the sea on a dive. I love her description of our range of work:
‘Works explore returnings, universal wanderings through bodily presence, casts, traces and mark-making. Some works evoke a desire to incubate, to hide, and put on hold; whilst others explore the elements of sacred water, air, soil; and the stars. Conventional, excavated and eco-materials are used to explore ephemerality and the awareness and responsibility of ‘Passing Through’ as a privileged guest for a short while.’ Jane Fox.
The work responds to our relationship between landscape and wandering, and references St. Michael’s Way, a pilgrimage route that passes right through the gardens.
Mark Richards: The responses by the artists to the theme of this exhibition are varied and intriguing. There is humour, ambiguity, beauty, environmental critique, and playfulness. Wander_Land features work in a wide range of media and sizes, placed outside, and in three gallery spaces, on floor, wall and ceiling.
What are you enjoying most about collaborating on an exhibition as a group?
Ann-Margreth Bohl: The working together in a group has been a valuable learning curve. I approached this commitment with an attitude of ‘we can all help each other here’. I am sure we can draw on each other’s strengths and support one another through less-developed skills. After a year of working in a team, being 100% committed a lot has been achieved. We have this show with fantastic work, exploring the theme of wandering and landscape through a vast breadth of approaches and materials and some work to be created live through events that are happening on the 5th August.
I am proud of what we have achieved together. Reflecting back to when this group started during lockdown. We are a group of sculptors that supported each other through challenging times and this ethos for me builds the core of this group of artists.
There were challenges along the way of developing this show, of course, but we saw them through together with the aim to create Wander_Land, an exhibition through which each artist is given a platform to share their explorations and discoveries in relation to wandering in landscape. Each sculptor worked with materials familiar or new to them to culminate in this Wander_Land.
The steering team made this happen and I am proud to be a part of it.
What has been a highlight of organising this exhibition at Tremenheere?
Fiona Campbell: It brings us together. The Instagram feed has been a success in terms of giving each artist a sense of ownership over the show as a whole. Each artist has done an insta takeover for a week, so they have been able to express their responses to the exhibition from their own viewpoint. It is always a learning curve organising and curating. I suspect the real highlight will be seeing it all come together!
Doug Burton: Getting to know the group of Southwest Sculptors and their creative practices in more depth. I have taken this opportunity to enter into a series of conversations with some of the group and present these as Podcasts. It has been an enlightening experience for me to learn more about each other’s work, and I’m looking forward to showing alongside everyone. You can listen to the podcasts on Acast, Spotify or Apple Podcasts – search for Wander_Land Exhibition.
For more, please visit Instagram: @wanderland2023
During this exhibition, the Gallery will open daily, 11am – 4pm. The exhibition will be launched with an opening event on Friday 30th June, 6 – 8pm. Artist Talks on Saturday 1 July, 2.30 – 4pm. Performative Events 5 August 11am – 4pm.
Free entry to the exhibition and events. Many of the works available to purchase.
Feature image: William Lasdun