Gallery Talk at Wexford Arts Centre

Frank Abruzzese will host a gallery talk on Tuesday, September 30th at 2pm to discuss Forest, the current exhibition by 2013 residency artists Corinne Schulze, Ian Clark and Seulki Ki.

During their residencies all three artists spent much of their time outside, engaging with the landscape surrounding the studio. A relatively recent plantation of pine trees established by Michael O’Gorman became a location of particular interest. Affectionally referred to as The Forest, this location belies its short 25 year history, where much older flora and fauna have thrived on its bed, and existing streams and mature native trees have broken the typical grid of managed forestation. Though their work represents a range of perspectives, mediums and working methods, the artwork shares this common nexus point. Forest explores the uncanny, mysterious and fearful narratives that can emerge from the perpetually dark, damp and concealed environments of wooded lands.

At one time forests were mystical places, a source of folklore, mysterious and often dangerous. As complex ecosystems forests continue to push the limitations of human understanding, and remind us of our inability to interpret that which we cannot fully observe. In lieu of a mythology or scientific method Clark, Ki and Schulze approach the landscape through a convergence of observation and understanding, process and ritual, experimentation and intervention. The resulting works present an open ended tableau as guarded and compelling as its source.

Images above left Untitled from the series Crystal Lake by Seulki Ki, top right Structure for Creation/Distribution of Energy from the series Spirit/Matter by Ian Clark and Untitled from the series 25 Years by Corinne Schulze.

You can see some of the work included in the exhibition here…