Materialise is an exhibition that celebrates two artists who consider materials to be central to their practice.
When an artist or maker begins the process of creation, there several potential starting points. Some might set out with a specific idea in mind or perhaps from a photo. They might be taking inspiration directly from life – a landscape or a still life. In contrast, others start with a looser idea or direction to follow and lean on the materials to guide them.
This organic approach to creating is where the artist is in partnership and at one with the material. They are the composer or even the magician. They are conducting the process while free-flowing at the same time. They are in the moment, responding to the materials and how they are feeling.
If they had started that piece at a different time, they would have produced a different result. That the artwork is a result of capturing a sequence of moments in time is a fascinating notion. A divergent decision made at any moment would produce a different piece.
Once the series of initial choices are set, the concluding stages are a combination of deliberation and instinct. Finally, the artist must decide whether a piece is finished or not, requiring a delicate and nuanced decision.
Materialise references the mediums that artists David Hayward and Su Jameson employ and the manifestation of the materials giving birth to their art. It is about ideas coming together to form their reality, which is beautiful to witness. The works on show have been constructed over many months. They are unrestricted by any preconceived idea. Individual pieces have evolved in response to the last or the next in the cycle and are intuitive expressions of the moment. Their endpoint was unknown at the time of making, but the aim is for honest, nuanced work that strikes a chord.
View Materialise at Kellie Miller Arts Gallery, 20 Market Street, Brighton until 7th June.
Open Mon, Thurs – Sat, 11am-6pm and Sun 11am – 5pm.
