PRESS RELEASE
Withiel
The Summer 2015 exhibition at the sculpture garden
of
Lemon Street Gallery
Truro, Cornwall
Nestled in an ancient Cornish village, a handful of miles from the Atlantic coast, the Withiel
sculpture garden marries contemporary art with landscape in a unique and spectacular way.
Works large and small by a rich mix of respected artists currently occupy the gardens, orchard and
woodland of this 17th century estate, where Lemon Street Gallery owner Louise Jones is fulfilling
her dream to create a beautiful, organic outdoor exhibition space.
Developed over five years with the guidance of world-renowned landscape designer Anthony Paul,
and the tireless labour of a team of supporters, it is a place that invites you to linger.
A gentle stroll through the five-acre plot offers an eclectic journey of sculptural delight. There’s
something around every corner - along the paths and borders, on the formal lawns, and even
among the fruit, vegetables and flowers of the kitchen garden.
In the dappled shade of the old bluebell wood, pride of place goes to a stone Celtic cross that was
mentioned in the Domesday Book of the 11th century. It now has the esteemed company of Sophie
Ryder’s enchanting large-scale galvanized wire tableau titled Lady Hares in a Forest; Good Old
Wiggy and Seal, life-size canine bronzes by Nicola Hicks; giant mask-like resins by Jilly Sutton;
tender figurative portraits by Helen Sinclair; Peter Burke’s From the Earth, crumbling figures of
reclaimed copper and steel; a miniature ceramic village by Yasuo Terada under a bush.
Joanna Wason’s diminutive figures quietly impress as they emerge
from verdant undergrowth, or perch on the corner of a mossy step,
while Jason Wason’s substantial stoneware vessels stand guard over
the elegant fish ponds like artefacts from far-flung lands and
centuries.
Andrea Geile’s weathered steel pieces make striking, semi-industrial
statements, contrasting the smooth and tactile limestone of Richard
Holliday’s visions of nature. Ivan Black’s clever stainless steel kinetic
constructions provide a fresh, mathematical spin; while Ann
Christopher’s graceful bronzes exude meditative qualities.
Pierre Diamantopoulo’s figurative stoneware Siren Song II, bursts
with movement, energy and humour on the lawn; and glass comes in
mighty, carved form in the works of both Fawkes Jackson and
Richard Jackson. Stone carver Rosie Musgrave has two diverse
pieces on show - the Kilkenny limestone Requiem embedded into the
lawn, and Way Mark I, a tactile tablet-shaped piece made of Purbeck
Pond Freestone.
Light is the defining quality captured by Anglo-American sculptor
Suzanne Redstone in her trio of steel and stone exhibits; Tony
Latimer’s sizeable ceramics find room to breath, and Sophie
Marsham’s stainless steel Silk Moths take flight with ease against this
bucolic backdrop.
Withiel Sculpture Garden is open, by appointment, until
September 30. Call Lemon Street Gallery on 01872 275757 or
email info@lemonstreetgallery.co.uk.
Images: From top, Lady Hares in a Forest, galvanized wire, by Sophie Ryder; Seal, bronze, by
Nicola Hicks; Siren Song II, stoneware, by Pierre Diamantopolou; Seated figure I, bronze resin,
by Joanna Wason; Way Mark I, Purbeck Pond Freestone on slate, by Rosie Musgrave.
For more information about Withiel and high resolution images contact Lemon Street
Gallery on 01872 275757 or email info@lemonstreetgallery.co.uk.
About Lemon Street Gallery:
Now in its sixteenth year Lemon Street Gallery is one of the country’s leading contemporary
galleries. It occupies a classical, elegant and spacious building within Truro’s prestigious Lemon
Street and has an enviable reputation for offering a vibrant eclectic programme of exhibitions and
quality publications. The gallery features a wide range of up and coming and established British
artists, and is ideally placed to draw on Cornwall’s rich modernist tradition. We pride ourselves on
bringing a varied and much sought after selection of artists to the South West. There is a yearly
calendar of solo and group exhibitions from our gallery artists. We also promote our artists through
touring exhibitions at major art institutions both nationally and worldwide.