Exhibition

The Ground Is Good / Exhibition Opening

From: 17th March 2018 11:00 am

To: 28th April 2018 5:00 pm

Modern Painters, New Decorators

Modern Painters, New Decorators, Carillon Court, Loughborough, Le11 3xa

Join us for the opening of ‘The Ground Is Good', an exhibition by Olivia Bax, Eva Masterman and Leon Sadler hosted by Modern Painters, New Decorators at Carillon Court, Loughborough. The event is free to enter, and open to all. Children are welcome to join in with our free family activity guide, aimed at 5yrs+, materials included.

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OPENING EVENT // Sat 17 Jan 11am-2pm

EXHIBITION CONTINUES // 17 March – 28 April // Wed-Sat 11am-5pm // At Modern Painters, New Decorators, 33 Carillon Court, Loughborough, LE11 3XA

//About the Exhibition//

Clay is ubiquitous across our homes, businesses and cultures; in many religions clay forms the beginnings of life itself. Both well-known and enigmatic, clay connects us with our industrial legacy, our natural surroundings and to our own sense of touch. Loughborough has long been a site that is rich with clay, and helped to support the nation’s brick-making industry during the 18th Century. ‘The Ground Is Good’ showcases different approaches and new perspectives on contemporary clay practice. The artists in this exhibition are joined by their use of clay as a material with a set of rules and parameters, setting up a dialogue across disciplines.

Olivia Bax uses malleable materials such as air-dry clay to make textured sculptures that are built out of unique repeated forms. For The Ground Is Good’ Olivia has squashed and shaped clay onto steel armatures, resulting in outcomes that intrigue both the body and the eye. Like the Japanese ‘wabi-sabi’ style ceramic vessels, Olivia’s sculpture emphasis imperfection, in turn revealing the marks of their creator.

The artworks Eva Masterman makes are a study of ‘the ceramics studio’, a space loaded with histories both private and public. Influenced by the tools and discarded ceramics found in the studios she works in, Eva makes installations that question the margins between ‘art’ and ‘craft’. For this exhibition Eva is reworking sculptures with found objects from the studio of her Great Aunt, set in the Spode Factory in Stoke-on-Trent, the centre of the ceramics boom of the 17th Century.

Leon Sadler creates ceramics that use humour to playfully prod at themes as wide ranging as anarchy, welfare and capitalism. Recently he has been experimenting with clay as collage, creating hybrid reliefs that combine glazed elements with jesmonite and paint. Leon is drawn to amateur ceramics and craft hobbies for their ‘earnest emotional’ quality, in turn making work that is seemingly high on colour and dizzy with joy, yet worryingly dystopian.

With thanks to Charnwood Borough Council for their generous support.

//Free exhibition events//
17 March 11am-2pm: The Ground Is Good Opening Event
7 April 9:30am-10:30am: Free Family Workshop with Clay
21 April 9:30am-10:30am: Free Family Workshop with Clay
28 April 11am-2pm: Closing Event and Community Pop-Up Exhibition

Sign up for our workshops here: http://bit.do/mpndfamilyworkshops

//About Modern Painters, New Decorators//
Modern Painters, New Decorators is a not-for-profit art organisation running art projects and building creative communities in Loughborough, East Midlands. We run a programme of art related activities including exhibitions, talks, events, markets and workshops with the aim of bringing colour to Loughborough and supporting and developing opportunities for regional artists. We are currently funded through donations from the general public and Charnwood Borough Council.

You can find us at Modern Painters, New Decorators, Unit 33, Carillon Court Shopping Centre, Loughborough, LE11 3XA. You can also search for us on Facebook and Instagram @mpndprojects.

Please email mpndprojects@gmail.com for more information or if you would like to donate to the project.

Website

https://www.facebook.com/events/1824307801201784/

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