Editions Ltd: Natural Forms and Organic Mythology : John Hedley
Venue: Editions Ltd
Date(s): 1.11.18 - 1.12.18
Time(s): All Day
Natural Forms and Organic Mythology
– John Hedley
Private view – Thursday 1st November
5.30-8.00pm – until 1st December
Based in North Wales, John has over many years, developed a deep and sustained interest in visual aspects of the natural sciences, especially geology and arboreal morphology. His work is multifaceted, encompassing oil painting on pieces of native woods, relief collage using Japanese paper and gouache and intaglio printmaking.
This exhibition features a series of paintings, which are treated in response to their organic forms and the surrounding nature. Embedded within his work is a long-standing visual dialogue between the islands of Crete and Ynys Môn and the works are painted on wood from both islands, mainly windfalls. He acknowledges the remarkable geological and landscape similarities of the two islands. This is extended to the study of Greek icon painting and its relation to figuration and abstraction.
The series prints in this exhibition are over printed photopolymer and carborundum plates. These works explore imagery for so long exclusive to the natural sciences. They are impressions that respect – even venerate – the visual mystery at the heart of this subject matter.
The stress, layering and cracking in the printing process is analogous to processes in geology. The timeless quality of the flowing matter that created the rock creates a timeless image.
Trees too, grow in response to light and environment and their form, like rocks, is created over many years. The organic abstraction and ambiguous patterns and layering found in the rock and tree formations are helping the work evolve in a new direction. It is the multi-faceted possibilities in the different variations of layering and cracking within trees and rocks that manifest in the existence of nature that are inspiring this work”. Since 2015 John has been funded by the Welsh Arts council having a number of one-person exhibitions in public galleries in Wales, including Oriel Mostyn and the Royal Cambrian Academy. John has exhibited widely around the UK and also had work exhibited in the Royal Academy in London. .