Adorned

Ten artists and makers respond to the theme 'Adorned' with painting, printmaking, textiles, sculpture, jewellery and glass.

Among humanity's earliest impulses, not directly connected to survival, was decoration. The drive to adorn the self and the local environment seems to have begun very early in the archaeological record, perhaps symbolising control over a small part of a dangerous world. Pierced shells and bone beads, antlers carved into amulets, and paintings on cave walls: these set us apart from other primates, those early talismans fuelling a growing awareness of the 'otherworldliness' of abstract thought: that a simple pebble could symbolise a powerful predator or an important event. If a bunch of feathers worn in the hair could distinguish you from the grass-wearing tribe in the next valley, in a world where very little could be controlled, predicted or explained, adornment must have been a comfort, and has certainly been a lasting impulse. To adorn is to increase the beauty or distinction of something or someone, and in a modern world of uniformity and mass production, we crave a little distinction.

Joanna Martins works in mixed media, both in 2D and 3D. "Einstein said the most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. I hope my pieces have a little mystery, and perhaps a glimpse of the sacred in the mundane. The coming together of random discarded elements changes them into something altogether different and more profound. Seeking meaning in the mysterious is a process as old as humanity."

Anita Reynolds shows colourful semi-abstract collagraphs and mixed media pieces inspired by nature's adornment, dynamic works inspired by trees in full blossom, burning gorse. lichen on stone, ancient Dartmoor settlements and field boundaries.

Gloria Dale also responds to nature: the sparkle of raindrops, the play of light on the surf, jewel-like fossils and the colours of autumn leaves all inspire creative textiles pieces.

Sandy Litchfield draws parallels between natural processes and her own work: Nature's adornment of our land is formed by heat and pressure, and she uses similar techniques in her hand-crafted pewter pieces, responding to geological formations exposed on her local beach during winter storms.

Pippa Martins: "It is impossible to live in such a beautiful part of the country and not be influenced and inspired by the landscape, nature, and colours that surround us every day of the year. It is whilst out walking on our wonderful moors and coastline that I gather most of my silver jewellery design ideas."

Emma Cook takes her inspiration from the landscape of her surroundings. Printmaking and mixed media works feature in this exhibition, with particular reference to memories of Venice, New York and the South Hams.

Inka Gabriel designs and makes beautiful, contemporary lights. She uses white glass as a background for her seemingly simple designs, a neutral backdrop which she adorns with natural and man-made materials.

Chrissy East combines her love of textiles with silver to create individual pieces of jewellery, sometimes combining small beads, crystals and pearls with knitted fine silver wire to make wrist cuffs and necklaces. She also creates original pieces of jewellery with old silver and antique beads.

For Olivia Wotton, to adorn means to add beauty to, and her collection of contemporary jewellery features simple pieces using a mix of silver, gold, freshwater pearls, semi-precious stones, wood, and Fair Trade Acholi beads.

For Caroline Mercer, adorned means decorating or embellishing, to mask or to enhance. In this new body of work, her subject is the human face, and she explores the relationship between adornment, self expression and the creation of a persona. She has made a number of ceramic busts and a series of collaged pieces, presenting the same female face in a number of different ways to evoke different feelings in the onlooker.

For more information visit http://www.harbourhouse.org.uk/gallery-Adorned10.html