fountains & Follies: Andrew Wood, Beatrice Dahllof, Billy Vanilli, Caitlin Shearer, Cassie Thring, Chantel de Latour, Giorgia Bel, Hilary Green, James Hale, James Riches, kate lewis, Nick Mullaly, Shanti Shea An, Stephen Brameld and Woody Mellor
12 – 29 May 2022
Fountains & Follies is a group exhibition featuring the work of fifteen artists, curated by Woody Mellor. Each participant has responded to the titular theme – exploring the camp and theatrical nature of the not so humble fountain and their Architectural counterpart, the folly.
"Who doesn’t love a fountain? I would be lying if I said I would be unhappy walking into a gallery full of fountains, however while daydreaming of fountain-paintings I couldn’t help but think also of their estranged cousin, the folly.
While there is no universally accepted definition of an architectural folly, there are some distinguishing features that make these absurd structures distinct from normal buildings. In essence the distinction lies in theatrics, deception and frivolity. All follies are large, decorative, and serve limited or no function beyond pure aesthetic and theatrical interest—from ancient ruins erected in 2018, to giant fruit and animals the size of a small office block. It’s this camp and unabashed combination of fakery and absurd opulence that defines the garden folly. They lie about their age, their purpose and, more often than not, they are the product of exceptional vanity.” - Woody Mellor
Opening event: Friday 13 May, 6 – 9pm
Image: Crybaby, 2020, Cassie Thring, clay, porcelain slip, underglaze, glaze, 14x10x10cm.