|
Exhibitions at...... |
|
|
|
|
At the Slade Centre during May 2001 a very special exhibition
took place. Its centrepiece was a large book, the pages of which were turned
for the first time. The book contained 30 printed woodcuts of the River Stour by Peter Ursem and
was displayed on a small table. The public were invited to put on a pair of white cotton gloves and
to follow the river in its course through the book.
A copy of the book, bound by the Black Cat Bindery at Castle Cary may be seen on request at The Slade Centre. Please call 01747 821480. Price: Quarter bound £1950. |
||
|
Peter Ursem graduated in painting and printmaking from The Royal Academy of Fine Arts in The Netherlands in 1995. He won the New Talents Award from Arts Centre ’Stroom’, being praised especially for the poetic quality of his work. After settling down in North Dorset in 1999 the rural landscape found its way swiftly into his printmaking work. In 2000 he received a Year of the Artist award to make this book and during the summer of that year he dedicated much of his time to exploring the river Stour and experimenting further with the medium of the woodcut. |
|||
|
Left: Print # 13 Sturminster Newton Mill Right: Print #3 |
|
Virtual
Gallery Thumbnails of all 30 prints. |
|
In each of the prints, some of which are in black and white, some in colour, the Stour is seen in a different light. The prints show how the river, after it springs almost imperceptibly in the valley north west of Stourhead, grows from a gentle brook to a considerable waterway. They depict the river in some places as mysterious and dreamy, while turbulent and wild, even threatening, in others. The momentous and beautifully bound book in which the collection is brought together has become a magical river narrative in pictures, a tale of timeless river-scapes in which only a few living creatures feature. |
|||
|
Left: Print #11 Fallen Trees (between Sturminster Newton and Cut Mill) |
|
Left: Print #29 Christchurch Quay |
|
The exhibition was officially opened on May 4th by Sue Clifford, director of arts and environment charity Common Ground. Live music was performed by Helen Porter, Karen Wimhurst and Robin Walter. |
|||
|
If you would like to be kept informed of upcoming events at the Slade Centre then please join our mailing list here. |
A limited edition of 15 copies of each print is for sale, as are 10 editions of the complete bound book of 30 prints. For more details please contact info@sladecentre.com or call 01747 821480. |
||
