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Introduction
As part of the final year of my degree course, I
was briefed either to exhibit or find a commission. I have chosen
the former, and to that end was fortunate to have been offered space at
the Cut Club on High Street in Knaresborough in which to exhibit some of my
work.
There are two underlying themes to this exhibit.
The first of the themes is the linen
mills of Knaresborough and the textile industry as a whole. I was
interested in this for many reasons. My own background harks back to
Scotland, in particular the jute mills of Dundee where my grandparents worked
all their lives. Also, this is a part of the history of Knaresborough
which is often overshadowed by events surrounding the castle which was built in
the 12th century A.D. and I wanted to redress the balance through my work.
Secondly, and here is where the imposing castle
exerts its influence as mentioned above. It is difficult not to be moved
when seeing the castle in its position of strength overlooking the gorge carved
out of the rock by the River Nidd as it wends its way from its source Upper
Nidderdale. I find this place to be a calm repose in an increasingly
hectic life and wanted to reflect how I feel about the effect the castle, its
grounds, and its panoramic views have on me through my paintings, but in a
non-traditional way.
The dates of the exhibition
were:
Thursday 2nd January 2003 9am to 6pm
Friday 3rd January 2003 9am to 7pm
Saturday 4th January 2003 9am to 2pm
Please see the flyer below.
If you would like further details, please e-mail me (anna@anna-hay.co.uk)
Click
here for location map
Personal
statement
My
objective for this exhibition was to create a connection between the outcome of
my artwork and Knaresborough itself. To
do this I have focused on two aspects: - The Knaresborough Linen industry and
Britain’s textiles industry as a whole, and Knaresborough Castle grounds as a
place of beauty.
Exhibit
one
Knaresborough
Linen industry and other textile industries of Britain.
The
textile industry in Britain now more or less faces extinction!
However, what lives on are the memories passed on to subsequent
generations.
Old
mills are very distinctive and when the opportunity arises to be inside them, it
conjures up the reminiscent sounds and smells of the working mill machines, the
camaraderie of the workers and the tactility of the associated materials.
For
the purpose of the exhibition I decided to focus on the tactile elements in
memory of the mill workers’ handling of materials and the fixing of machines
through a passage of time.
However,
we now live in the 21st century and wanted to reflect such in my
paintings both in context and with the outcome to my final artworks.
To
achieve this, I have incorporated contrasting textures, some materials being
Linen, Hessian or prints of such, combined with more modern materials, such as
tile cement and hardboard. To
maintain some elements of the past, I have kept the colour palette simple! These simple colours also allow the contrasting textures to
remain as a focal point in my paintings and collages.
Exhibit
two
When
I visit Knaresborough Castle grounds.
The
focus of these paintings for exhibit two was to reflect on the event of standing
within the grounds of Knaresborough Castle.
A visual account of my personal experience rather than to recreate
what’s already there!
For
this, I have completed four paintings. Three
of these are grouped together as they are all about my emotional responses and
the fourth is about the permanence of the ancient building and the feeling of
something being sacred. All four
paintings have been titled and are as follows: -
Cherished:
- Oil on Canvas.
When
I visit Knaresborough Castle: - Oil on Canvas.
Standing
within the grounds of Knaresborough Castle: - Oil on Canvas.
Permanence:
- Oil on canvas.
The
paintings for this exhibit have been done in a non-traditional way using brush
marks, colour and the composition to convey the appropriate emotion.
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