Exhibition: The four elements

Saturday 13th November 2010 – Monday 10th January 2011

For its winter exhibition, Otterton Mill Gallery has taken an elemental theme, as it showcases Devon artists who either portray or use the four elements to create their art.  The theme makes for an interesting and diverse collection of work, from paintings to metalwork, slate and glass, in an artistic illustration of the elements of earth, air, fire and water.

The first element, earth, is represented by Pacha, whose contemporary mirrors and clocks are made using reclaimed slate.  Pacha is Glenn Rushbrooke and Samantha Robb, a design partnership specialising in contemporary furniture, accessories and installations using reclaimed and natural resources.  The word pacha means green or pure, and was chosen to represent the duo's eco-friendly approach and their passion for using materials often seen as waste - in this case, weathered and discoloured slate.  The name also reflects the simplicity of design, which allows the aesthetic qualities of the material to play an integral part in the piece's overall appearance.  Pacha's work sits equally well in modern, minimalist spaces, as well as rustic environments.  All of Pacha's work is designed and made in a small workshop in Welcombe on the North Devon coast.

The second element, air, is represented by Emmy-Gai Palmer, an emerging glass artist.  Based in Plymouth, Emmy-Gai creates blown glass with web-like inclusions created using hand crochet and knitting techniques.  A graduate of Plymouth's College of Art and Design, Emmy-Gai has developed a unique and distinctive style, inspired by hand-knitting skills passed on through the generations of women in her family.  This textile element is integral to her work, with the glass and knitted wire or wool working together in harmony, complimenting and emphasizing each other's qualities, and drawing the viewer's gaze into the piece.  Each stitch in the interior web is evident in the finished piece, with each nuance or variation giving the piece character.  Emmy-Gai is exhibiting a range of blown glass sculptures, vessels and baubles.

Metal artist Katie Lake represents the element fire. Designer/maker Katie is an established Plymouth-based artist who produces distinctive metalwork for interior and exterior environments.  Her range of fun garden ornaments, from hanging dragon-flies, to lady-birds and butterflies on stakes has made her one of the Mill's most popular and prolific artists.  Metal work was not Katie's first choice as an artist, when she enrolled on a foundation course at Plymouth College to specialise in glass and metal.  However, it was metal that inspired an ongoing creative passion within her, and she relinquished the glass course to focus on her primary love. She now makes a wide range of artwork that includes her unique line of bespoke beds, lighting, garden furniture, gates, railings and sculptural pieces.  Her work is characterised by an ironic take on symbolism and a contemporary twist on a traditional skill, often combining steel with glass, wood or stone elements.   For the Elements exhibition, Katie is showing a selection of fire irons, alongside a number of sculptural pieces and hooks.

The fourth element, water, is portrayed by painter Ali O'Brien in a series of water and seascapes, painted in a semi-abstract style.  Ali is a self-taught artist, who was encouraged and inspired from a young age by his mother, herself a painter.  During his studies and later successful career as an equine vet, Ali dabbled in art, selling his paintings on an occasional basis.  After selling his veterinary practice in his forties, Ali now concentrates on his art full-time.  Based in the Mill's home-town of Otterton, Ali paints his own interpretations of local scenes and features, capturing the moods and tensions of his subjects, together with their colour and movement. These range from images of rock pools and playing in the waves at Jacob's Ladder in Sidmouth, to the neighbouring River Otter.  Ali is showing both original paintings and a selection of prints.

We are delighted to showcase a collection of work that uses such a diverse range of media, styles and techniques, linked by the common theme of the elements.  It makes for an interesting and exciting exhibition, which once again demonstrates the wealth of creative excellence that is found in the South West and which we are proud to show at the Mill Gallery.

The exhibition runs daily from Saturday 13^th November to Monday 10^th January.  Entry is free.