Into the Woods - Picturing Trees is the latest exhibition to grace the walls of the much-loved St Anne's Galleries in Lewes. Featuring a beautiful array of works on the theme of trees, the exhibition showcases the talents of a hand-picked selection of established and emerging artists.It is both charming and alluring to know that these pieces have been created especially for the show, with only one exception; Harold Mockford's The Weeping Ash (2008).
Those chosen to exhibit their craft must have delighted in this opportunity to depict one of nature's giants; the mighty tree. Unsurprisingly they pull this off magnificently. Abstract works by Nick Carrick and Julian Le Bas are brimming with colour and emotion. Even Le Bas' dramatic black and white Horizon of Winter Trees (Dusk) has a captivating charm, despite its gloomy impression of a row of trees as the daylight fades. Also demanding attention as you enter the gallery is Jack Frame's Silver Birch, which has been drawn meticulously in dots and swirls using a black glass marker on a white sheet of perspex. He is just one of several artists in this show to employ unconventional materials. Sarah Sparkes has painted trees on her childhood bedroom wallpaper, while Alvaro Petritoli has inked glowing moons onto irregular paper clay shapes.
Elsewhere, artists have interpreted the tree theme in a surreal and almost storybook way. Kate Montgomery's scenes of children playing near woodland have a dream-like quality, and Peter Messer's paintings conjure up a foreboding feeling as in a fairytale. Messer's Down Too Soon shows a man standing alone in the woods with a crescent-moon-shaped head, while his Heartbreak House depicts a spooky-looking dolls house surrounded by tall, dark trees (pictured).
St Anne's Galleries can be applauded for the variety of styles, imaginative use of media and generally high standard of work seen in this show. Also commendable is their Worth Watching scheme that showcases work by promising artists still studying at university.
The exhibition is open 20th February to 6th March, from 10am until 5pm at weekends, and by appointment at other times. Go to www.stannesgalleries.com for more information.
Address: 111 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1XY.
