Structurescapes - 01.06.10

The University of Essex Gallery, Arts on 5 is pleased to present Structurescapes, an exhibition exploring images of rural and urban constructed environments to reveal how utopian and dystopian principles manifest themselves in our everyday surroundings.

The show displays artworks by five contemporary artists, David Cotterrell, Jane Prophet, Sachiyo Nishimura, Léon Ferrari and Sinta Werner.

Curated by MA Gallery Studies and Critical Curating students at the University of Essex, the exhibition uses a range of different media including photography, video projection, ink on paper and floor installation to give a sensorial and wide ranging viewing experience.

Structurescapes aims to reveal what is produced when utopian and dystopian ideologies meet in the juxtaposition of differing constructed ideals. This is to be done through the revelation of the fine line between these two concepts. This fine line can be termed as the Picturesque.

The exhibition is based upon the premise that all environments whether natural or built are constructed. Environments are synthetically arranged to reveal the idealisms of the creator. However, when differing ideals are juxtaposed their imperfections are emphasised as no utopian construction can ever be finite, as utopianism is subjective.

The exhibition will be presented at the University of Essex Gallery in Wivenhoe Park, Essex. As a picturesque estate, Wivenhoe Park is the very embodiment of these ideals, and with the juxtaposition of the Kenneth Caplon brutalist concrete architecture of the University campus buildings, this estate enacts the very contradictions and continuities that this exhibition explores.

Exhibition Dates:

01 June 2010 - 26 June 2010

Opening Times:

Monday-Friday 11am-5.00pm
Saturday 12.00pm-4.00pm

The exhibition will be accompanied by an events programme which will explore the issues raised as well as a catalogue offering diverse essays and explorations of the artworks and artist information.

Artist Talk:

As one of the artists featured in the Structurescapes exhibition, David will be contributing to this program in an afternoon event, 'Structurescapes Talk: An Interview with David Cotterrell' at the Headgate Theatre at 3pm on Saturday, 5th June.

This interview will discuss David Cotterrell’s motivations and themes within his artworks, his wider career as an artist as well as his role in the context of this exhibition.

Tickets: £2 - Please call 07821 438888 for general enquiries and to book seats.