FIGHTING CLOWNS

One aspect of sculptor Beth Carter’s work depicts the carnivalesque, circus figures from bad dreams, costumes and all. Fighting Clowns draws on a seminal series of photos taken of two men wrestling, by Edweard Muybridge in 1887.

Oh, I said, this is going to be.
And it was.
Oh, I said, this will never happen.
But it did.
And a purple fog descended upon the land.
The roots of trees curled up.
The world was divided into two countries.
Every photograph taken in the first was of people.
Every photograph taken in the second showed none.
All of the girl children were named And.
All of the boy children named Then.

-Mary Ruefle  Genesis

One of the most popular sculptures in the show, and in the gallery in general in 2023, has been the little reading minotaur – who is fast approaching the end of its edition.

Beth Carter Reading Minotaur V, Bronze, Ed. of 15, 53 x 40 x 29 cm £12,800

The minotaur seems content in his garden, enjoying the ray of sunlight on his book.

Now we will count to twelve
and we will all keep still
for once on the face of the earth,
let’s not speak in any language;
let’s stop for a second,
and not move our arms so much.

It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines;
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.

Fishermen in the cold sea
would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would not look at his hurt hands.

Those who prepare green wars,
wars with gas, wars with fire,
victories with no survivors,
would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their brothers
in the shade, doing nothing.

What I want should not be confused
with total inactivity.

Life is what it is about…

If we were not so single-minded
about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could do nothing,
perhaps a huge silence
might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with
death.

Now I’ll count up to twelve
and you keep quiet and I will go.

Keeping Quiet, by Pablo Neruda

Quiet too the Faun….

 

And finally, the inaugural visit to the gallery of a VID (Very Important Dog). The as yet very shy Fig. Thanks to Jonathan and Pat for bringing him in to see us !!

Like musical instruments
Abandoned in a field
The parts of your feelingsAre starting to know a quiet
The pure conversion of your
Life into art seems destinedNever to occur
You don’t mindYou feel spiritual and alertAs the air must feel
Turning into sky aloft and blue
You feel like You’ll never feel like touching anything or anyone
Again
And then you do Tom Clark, Poem

Bobbie Russon The Conversation, Oil on Canvas, 60 x 70 cm. £3,500

Thank you as always for reading.
Please click on the images above for links to webpages.

Our exhibition, paintings by Bobbie Russon, Sculpture by Beth Carter and Ceramics by Paul Wearing, continues until 15 July.