
dot-art Gallery: The Rough with The Smooth
Variation in texture is the focus of the new exhibition at the dot-art Gallery. The Rough with The Smooth will be open to the public from 15th June – 4th August and feature a collection of works by five local artists whose artistic practice exploits the diverse physicality of materials and how different surfaces affect the way we respond to art.
This exhibition features artists Liz Jeary, Sharon Mullane, Catherine Carmyllie, Joanne Thompson and Hilary Dron, each experimenting with relief and depth, light and dark, combining elements to create a contrast of actual and perceived textures.
Sharon Mullane is a self-taught artist based in Liverpool whose work is an interpretation of emotion captured in a single point in time. Clouds of alcoholic inks and smooth resin exaggerate the notion of depth in each of her pieces, with heavy waves of colour and abstract shapes fundamental to her expression. Sharon exploits the smooth, glossy properties of liquid resin to capture the movement of ink through layers, freezing the interaction of colours mid-motion.
Liz Jeary uses embroidery to explore new meaning in fine-art photography. Intricately piercing rows of rainbow stiches and incorporating geometric lines of tactile organics, Liz reimagines photographic portraits and landscapes, using wools and cottons to emphasise textures that the camera simply can’t. Liz’s collections of portraits are sewn with a sense of whimsy and light-heartedness, pushing the boundary of what is considered a photograph.
Liverpool born artist Hilary Dron explores the physicality of new materials, using oil and cold wax to build up to thirty different layers, showcasing their unique properties through scraping, scoring and dripping to reveal colour and shape beneath, a methodical artform which reflects the natural processes that inspire her in surrounding landscapes. Hilary’s aim is to achieve a structural integrity though these multi-layered surfaces; each piece with its very own ‘geography’ on the surface.
Joanne Thompson combines a broad range of materials to balance the textures in each of her vibrant pieces. By contrasting expressive mark making through energetic flicks of paint and more refined parallel stripes, each part of Joanne’s art responds to light in adverse ways as a result, showcasing a playful variation in surface plane.
Liverpool based Catherine Carmyllie is inspired by her surroundings, both the changeable landscape and by contrast, the static and industrial city. Her work is heavily process driven and constructed by layers of collage, Modroc, paint, ink, oil pastel and metallic foils. This diverse range of media allows for exciting experimentation with both colour and texture.
The exhibition starts on Friday 15th June and runs to Saturday 4th August. Entry is free.
The dot-art Gallery can be found at 14 Queen Avenue, Castle Street, Liverpool, L2 4TX (just 5 minutes’ walk from Liverpool One). Opening times: Monday – Saturday, 10am-6pm