Monday, April 29, 2013

FRESH AIR 2013 GARDEN & OUTDOOR SCULPTURES AND WORKS OF ART

KEE@FSWMAG.COM
MALAYSIANS WITH BIG GARDENS, HUGE BALCONIES OR VAST ROOMS DEVOID OF ORNAMENTATION PLEASE KEY IN THE DATES 16 JUNE TILL 7 JULY 2013 AND HIGHTAIL TO CIRENCESTER IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE, ENGLAND.


The long-awaited 11th biennial FRESH AIR 2013, set up by art collectors Lucy and David Abel Smith, takes place at Quenington Old Rectory, Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 5BN from Sunday 16 June to Sunday 7 July 2013.

The purpose of the FRESH AIR sculpture exhibition is ‘to wash the dust from the soul of everyday life’ and to provide the opportunity to celebrate the vitality and diversity of sculpture and it capacity to challenge.

From RM 250 to RM 100,000 to RM 250,000, there is something for everyone.


FRESH AIR 2013
11th Biennale Quenington Sculpture Exhibition
16th June - 7th July 2013

Quenington Old Rectory
Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 5BN
T 01285 750 358
E  lasmith@freshair2013.com


The long-awaited 11th biennial FRESH AIR 2013, set up by art collectors Lucy and David Abel Smith, takes place at Quenington Old Rectory, Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 5BN from Sunday 16th June to Sunday 7th July 2013. 

The purpose of the FRESH AIR sculpture exhibition is ‘to wash the dust from the soul of everyday life’ and to provide the opportunity to celebrate the vitality and diversity of sculpture and its capacity to challenge.  Sculpture today embraces a broad spectrum of objects, film, photography, installation, text, sound and performance which are all mainstays of a contemporary vision and FRESH AIR actively encourages this diversity. 

Where else can you find a combination of brilliantly coloured sound reflector sculptures, a newly composed digital audio sound-track and a trapeze artist forming a heart-lifting art installation under a huge copper beech tree?  The answer is found in the exquisite 5-acre garden and river at Quenington Old Rectory which form a stunning stage setting for the most exciting and eagerly-awaited sculpture show in the country.

Art for the garden has now become main-stream but in order to compete with the richness and colour of nature, outdoor sculpture has had to evolve in surprising and delightful directions since the very first FRESH AIR show in 1992.  Over 12,000 people visited FRESH AIR 2011.  This year’s line-up includes 91 international artists combining established and inspiring new talent (31 are new this year) using a combination of conventional and unusual materials such as glass, stone, ceramic, marble, wood, fabric, plastic, resin, bronze, stainless steel and multi-media installations.  Prices range from £50 to £20,000 with one or two more expensive pieces up to £50,000.

This year exciting new work encourages the viewer to ‘think out of the box’ such as  Hannah Davies who adopts varying techniques to alter form ultimately displaying a fascination with the displacement of the common object as shown in ‘A Bench’; an installation, ‘Thorn Tree’,  of hundreds of porcelain thorns assembled over the trunk and branches of a tree by Natalia Dias; ‘Once is an accident, twice is a revolution’,  1,000 cast jelly shoes poured in pink silicone rubber by Tom Hackett; and three obsolete pianos are being rescued from the scrap heap and spontaneously reconfigured into a new structure on-site at FRESH AIR  by Alicia Fidler.

Look out for ‘Dark Bird 2002’ by Breon O’Casey (1928-2011) who saw himself as a ‘traditional innovator’; also ‘Couple I’ in bronze by Terence Coventry which is a simple yet intensely personal representation of love.

On-going colour in the garden is vital: Taz Lovejoy’s bright sculptural lamps made from coloured silicone cupcake moulds are hung in the canopy of a tree; ‘Damask’, laser-cut aluminium flower silhouettes by Caroline Parrott; textile artist Jennifer Norris combines leather and fabric to create stitched organic forms such as ‘Spinoza’; Christine Kowal Post portrays women as  fearless and strong without abandoning their intrinsic femininity in ‘Woman, Egg and Crow’ carved from horse chestnut.

The use of glass as a medium is very diverse as shown in ‘Strange Flower’ by Colin Reid, regarded as one of the most accomplished glassmakers worldwide; ‘Plantain’ by Colin and Louise Hawkins from the renowned LocoGlass and ‘Aechemea’ by Sam Herman as well as Matt Durran, Anna Glasbrook, Belinda Harding and Bliss Hill.    

Alison Crowther’s superbly ‘Carved Cube’ in unseasoned English oak and Andrew Trotman’s ‘Swingseat II’ are just two of the many wood sculptures to choose from; and a show would not be complete without hand-cut letter-carvers such as Iain Cotton exhibiting ‘Journey Stones’.  

The river Coln flowing through the garden provides an extra platform for artists influenced by water such as Jacque Pavlosky’s installation of floating glass bottles;  wildlife sculptor Adam Binder’s majestic bronze swan;  and ‘Submergence’ made of high fired porcelain by Jo Taylor,  designed to fit in the swimming pool.

The Quenington Sculpture Trust, FRESH AIR’s registered charity since 1997, provides bursaries to talented artists. This year Rob Olins is presenting ‘Sound Mirrors’, an installation of brightly coloured acoustic mirrors, which includes intermittent performances by trapeze artist Alice Watson bringing together the grace and elegance of dance with the strength and focus of aerial acrobatics.  The Trust is supported by The Arts Council, the Summerfield Trust, Strutt & Parker, the Cotswold District Council and R K Harrison Insurance Services.  

FRESH AIR runs an impressive education programme accommodating over 650 children for local schools including workshops for the disabled and special needs schools.  Many children from primary and secondary schools in the region visit the show giving them a unique opportunity to enjoy the excitement of such a large range of art in a rural setting.

Another new departure this year is a pop-up restaurant at FRESH AIR to be held on Saturday evening, June 22nd. Allium, Fairford’s renowned restaurant specialising in Modern British food, will be creating 8 courses of ‘extraordinary food in an extraordinary setting’ for up to 60 covers for one night only.  For reservations please call Allium on 01285 712200.

Iain Cotton Journey Stones.jpg
This is my favourite! Entitled 'A Bench' by Hannah Davies. RM 6,800. Bet your guests will either think they are drunk or need to see their eye doctor.
Iain Cotton Journey Stones.jpg
I also like this one, called 'Thorn Tree' by 'Natalia Dias. There are 500 individual, differently sized porcelain thorns, 3 cm to 16 cm, assembled on a tree and no, these thorns will not kill the tree. RM 85,000
Iain Cotton Journey Stones.jpg
I like these delicious looking, jellybean sandals sprinkled all over your lawn! All 1,000 of them and spread over 20 feet in diameter! These silicone jelly shoes are made of pigmented silicone rubber. RM 150 each or the entire lot for RM 150,000! I don't have the actual shoe size and they all look identical and presumably you can wear them though philistines might say you can buy them at any pasar malam for RM 10 a pair! This shoe show by Tom Hackett is called 'Once is an accident, two is a revolution', whatever that means!
Iain Cotton Journey Stones.jpg"
'Plantain' by Colin Hawkins is such fun as you can literally plant them anywhere, preferably amid the lallang or bush so they appear to be blooming from the living plant. A sort of horticultural trompe l'oeil that will baffle your guests. RM 27,000
Iain Cotton Journey Stones.jpg
This avant-garde, 11-metre high metronome is strictly for the great outdoors unless you have cathedral ceilings. By Lucy Strachan, this is called God Rod. RM 33,000. Bringing home to Malaysia may be a problem
Iain Cotton Journey Stones.jpg
I am very amused by this woman carrying a bird and its egg (presumably). Called 'Woman, Egg and Crow' this is by Christine Kowal Post. RM 25,000
Iain Cotton Journey Stones.jpg
'Colouring in the Grass and Sky' looks like something from Alice in Wonderland as the giant pencils appear suspended in midair. By Henrietta Budd. RM 14,500
Iain Cotton Journey Stones.jpg
'The Swan' is classical, timeless and elegant. You cannot go wrong with this stately bird though it seems rather tame and unexciting compared to my favourite 'A Bench'! By Adam Binder in bronze. This is an expensive bird at RM 108,000
Iain Cotton Journey Stones.jpg
Realistically rendered or carved or sculpted flora and fauna get my vote all the time. This is 'Two for Joy' by Dave Cooke. RM 8,500
Iain Cotton Journey Stones.jpg
Stick them anywhere in your garden and they strike up a conversation. 'Damask' by Caroline Parrott is a trio of laser-cut, anodised aluminium florals at RM 160 each but I could have sworn I saw something like this at Chatuchak market in Bangkok but at this price, you cannot far wrong
Iain Cotton Journey Stones.jpg
This also catches my attention as I love statues of humans. 'Sitting' by Carole Peace costs RM 23,000
Iain Cotton Journey Stones.jpg
No, they are not giant frisbees stuck in a tree. 'Sound Mirrors' by Rob Olins are 2 acoustic mirrors. These 2 sound reflectors are made of glass fibre and aluminium. RM 70,000
Iain Cotton Journey Stones.jpg
'Launch' by Rebecca Newnham is 2.2 metres and weighs a hefty 150 kgs with price to match. At RM 178,000 it is among the most expensive. Iain Cotton Journey Stones.jpg
'Spinoza' by Jennifer Norris looks like rolled pieces of paper, confection or freeze-dried icing but are actually bonded and stitched PVC and cotton. They look so cool resting on branches. RM 1,800
Iain Cotton Journey Stones.jpg
No point hiding here when playing Hide and Seek. 'Bud' by Ruth Moilliett costs RM 89,000 and is 1.6 m high
Iain Cotton Journey Stones.jpg
'Metarmophosis' is by Taz Lovejoy are silicon cupcake moulds at RM 580 each. Perfect for decorating that dead tree while waiting for Dewan Bandaraya to come
Iain Cotton Journey Stones.jpg
'Kindred Spirits' by Bliss Hill costs RM 6,000 each or RM 17,500 for all three sets. They are handblown glass or you cannot leave them outdoors or get ready to sweep up the pieces after a storm
Iain Cotton Journey Stones.jpg
Art follows function or is it the other way around? 'Swing seat 2' is of oak and stainless steel fittings and costs RM 5,800. This is both beautiful and bountiful
Iain Cotton Journey Stones.jpg
If you like big cocks and I do, this bronze bird is for you then. 'Cockerel' by Mo Farquharson is RM 39,000
Iain Cotton Journey Stones.jpg
Looks like Bucephalus, Alexander the Great's horse but it is 'Spartan Horse' by Louisa Forbes at RM 53,000
Iain Cotton Journey Stones.jpg
Big, fat, roly-poly like one of Fernando Botero's creations, this 'Individuals' by Patricia Volks costs RM 15,000 each
Iain Cotton Journey Stones.jpg
Staid, solid and somewhat characterless, this 'Loganberry Pot' by Wendy Hoare costs RM 6,300
Iain Cotton Journey Stones.jpg
If you cannot afford a Henry Moore, this will do then. 'Couple 1' by Terence Coventry costs RM 68,000
Iain Cotton Journey Stones.jpg
I also thought this was a stool the gardener made for himself as I refuse to pay RM 7,000 for something my Filipina maid can do in her spare time
Iain Cotton Journey Stones.jpg
If you paid RM 15,000 for this 'Journey Stones' I  might as well start being an artist too
Amen.












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