Press Release 26 | 06 | 23
Gareth Edwards RWA | ‘Four Seasons'
with the accompanying mixed exhibition ‘I Walked a Golden Path'
15thSeptember to 4thNovember 2023
Gareth Edwards RWA |Summer,oil on canvas, 215cm x 180cm
Newly opened this summer in Devon's beautiful South Hams, Velarde Gallery is a 1,400 square foot exhibition space and sculpture garden. Velarde aims to bring the very best in British and International contemporary art to Devon, giving collectors the opportunity to connect with emerging new talent, as well as established artists and makers. With a focus on quality, diversity of practice and creative innovation, the gallery's year-round programme of exhibitions will bring exceptional painting, sculpture, photography and contemporary craft to the heart of the Southwest.
This autumn, Velarde presents a solo exhibition byRoyal West of England Academician Gareth Edwards.Gareth Edwardsis a graduate of Goldsmiths College, an elected RWA Academician, a member of the Newlyn Society of Artists, and a resident of St Ives' prestigious Porthmeor Studios in West Cornwall. Created with his 60thbirthday year celebrations in mind, this collection, titledFour Seasons,can be viewed as what the artist calls "a metaphor, for a life lived, a life entangled with nature, beauty, art and atmosphere". 20thcentury abstract artist Cy Twombly'sFour Seasons,1993-94, have long been a major influence on Gareth's work, as have theDuino Elegiesby Bohemian-Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke, and composer Max Richter's reworking of Vivaldi'sFour Seasons. This, Gareth's ownFour Seasonscollection, brings together painting, nature, time and beauty into a powerful series of four large pieces of work, and eight smaller works, accompanied by a sound installation by artist Paul Lewin that will lend an additional layer of atmosphere to the audience's experience of the exhibition.
Gareth Edwards RWA |Diving for Pearls,oil on canvas, 100cm x 110cm
Key influences on this and other collections by the artist also include Gernot Bohne's work on the Aesthetics of Atmospheres and Ambiances, recent texts by landscape and nature writer Rob McFarlane, and the poetry of Amy Clampit, Alice Oswald, Michael Longley and Paul Muldoon. The overarching theme of what the artist refers to as ‘natural capital' and ‘emotional weather' has been the focus of Gareth's work for more than a decade, and his career has been defined by exhibitions which attempt to define the beauty and grace of nature, and humanity's relationship with it.
Paralleling this leading exhibition, on show in the adjoining gallery space, is a mixed exhibition of works that complement the emotionally dramatic nature of Gareth's paintings. TitledI Walked a Golden Path, the exhibition is comprised of works that engage with ideas of the Romantic, the human and the emotive. The exhibition includessculpture byTim Rawlins, ceramics byGunilla Maria AkessonandPenny Little, drawings byHanna Ten Doornkaat, metal sculpture byJuliette Bigley, monoprints byShelly Tregoningand willow work byCaroline Sharp.
See Gareth Edwards RWA'sFour SeasonsandI Walked a Golden Pathfrom 15thSeptember to 4thNovember 2023 at Velarde,86 Fore St, Kingsbridge, Devon TQ7 1PP. For further information or to enquire about booking Velarde holiday apartments seevelarde.co.uk
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Print Ready 300dpi images for press use:
GARETH EDWARDS RWA Summer
GARETH EDWARDS RWA Diving for Pearls
Editors Notes
Velarde
Currently under construction and opening in July 2023, Velarde will be a contemporary Fine Art and Craft gallery in the heart of Kingsbridge, South Devon. The building will include a 1,400 square foot exhibition space, a sculpture garden, and two boutique apartments.Velarde aims to bring the very best in British and International contemporary art to Devon, giving collectors the opportunity to connect with emerging new talent, as well as established artists and makers. With a focus on quality, diversity of practice and creative innovation, Velarde's year-round programme of exhibitions will bring exceptional painting, sculpture, photography and contemporary craft to the heart of the Southwest.
Velarde, 86 Fore Street, Kingsbridge, TQ7 1PP.
Gareth Edwards
Gareth Edwards is a contemporary landscape and seascape painter working in St Ives' historic Porthmeor Studios, once occupied by artists such as Julius Olssen, Patrick Heron, Ben Nicholson and Francis Bacon. A graduate of Goldsmiths College, he is a member of the Newlyn Art Society, an elected RWA Academician and one-time lecturer in Art History, Visual Culture and Contextual Studies. He lives and works in Newlyn, Cornwall.
For further press information, interviews or additional images contact Mercedes Smith at Fine Art Communications director@fineartcommunications.co.uk | Tel 07825 270235 | www.fineartcommunications.co.uk
