As Noisy As Geese
16th-21st December 2022
At: Centrespace Gallery, Bristol
As Noisy As Geese brings the textiles of Clemency Calkin and ceramics of Pascale Wilson together, showcasing works from the artists’ ongoing projects “Belonging” and “We Are Vessels”. Whilst differing in medium, the works are complimentary in finding ease and balance in their riotous use of colour and pattern, finding stillness within the chaos. It is not surprising that these projects were undertaken in 2021, deep in the turbulent period of the pandemic. The cathartic nature of slow craft enabled the artists to work through the multitude of emotions that arose, through dyeing cloth, hand-stitching, sculpting clay, and sgraffito carving. The process-led and labour intensive nature of these works encouraged the artists to cultivate trust in their abilities to produce artworks that tell a story. The result is a visual representation of a bewildering time; from the whirlwind of inner worlds, through the hands of two makers, to a place of comfort and insight.
Clemency’s textiles began with a pile of white fabric, fabric paints, a pair of scissors and a sewing machine. By translating feelings into colours, and uncertainties into patterns, slowly the patchworked art emerged. The act of balancing such seemingly clashing shapes and shades was soothing, and allowed an acceptance of a multitude of truths. The works are a celebration of the many possibilities of cloth, merging techniques such as appliqué, embroidery, patchwork, smocking, marbling and natural dyeing. Each piece had a specific theme from which to explore; Shape, Nature, Pattern, Movement, Narrative, Technique. From these springboards, Clemency would paint and sew the textile thoughts that came into her head, reflecting and feeling, before letting the individual pieces organically form into their final layout.
Pascale’s ceramics are handbuilt, with minimal designing beforehand. She chose to respond to pieces as they were progressing, embracing characters that would slowly emerge, making aesthetic decisions on the forms, colours, patterns, and expressions in the moment. Each vessel tells many stories, through its shape, colours, and use of line which tallies experiences against a spectrum of sensations. These stories don’t always sit harmoniously, reflecting the tension we can have between our inner understanding and outward projection. The vessels have a dialogue, sharing characteristics from one to the next while retaining individuality. Humour & play are inherent in the vibrant use of colour and sculpted features, sitting alongside a primal darkness and discord in the dark clay body and stark line work.
