“Green|Blue” in Exeter Cathedral

 

Mixed media and video
Solo exhibition in Exeter Cathedral Chapter House

28 May – 4 June 2017

After Art Week Exeter, I had a week to turn around and prep the next outing for “Green|Blue”. And it was my most high profile yet: a solo show in the Cathedral. No pressure!

I chose a selection of the steel-framed chiffon prints that I showed at Dartington: five catchments in Devon, and five which highlight the geographical variation around the south coast. I included “Drop Slow Tears” again, and the “Future Shock” video I made for “Primordial Soup” at Fringe Arts Bath.

I’ve had it in mind for a while to set the river catchment ‘trees’ against similar natural patternings… and so the “Patternings” prototypes came to pass, a series of eight juxtapositions such as the Dorset Stour against fork lightning, the Taw against a hawthorn on Dartmoor, the Hampshire Avon against the blood vessels in a mouse’s eye, the Adur against a crack in the wall.

I also wanted to show the full dataset across the whole of England, which to my mind could have been a print by Albrecht Dürer. It shows incredibly fine detail, and clearly identifies the well-drained uplands and watersheds, and the sometimes extremely extensive lower-lying areas at risk.

And finally, I made another video. “God’s Eye View” is a series of views from above, from NASA’s “Blue Marble” distance shot of the Earth and a World War II operations room, through OS maps and my route from home to the Cathedral, to a drone view of the fire at the Royal Clarence Hotel next door.

I was delighted that the Culture & Review show on Phonic FM included it in its monthly review of arts in Exeter. Happily the exhibition coincided with its regular slot at 6pm on the first Thursday. But I haven’t managed to listen yet, as I was campaigning door-to-door in the run up to the General Election.

Overall, it really seems to have grabbed people. I had some lovely comments. 

Incredible, really! I’ve never seen something like this before. It’s genious [sic]. I hope many people will look at it and its beauty!

Congrats, Clare on a very special exhibition. Thank you for the invitation – it has certainly opened my eyes and I must try and learn more. You manage to make a very serious subject an experience of enjoyment.

Thank you for sharing this beautiful and intriguing work. I loved the juxtaposition of trees, seaweed, lightening [sic] with the river maps.

Many thanks to Canon Ian Morter, for agreeing to the show in the first place, Laurence Blyth and Jonny Titchin in the Cathedral office, all the Cathedral floor managers for keeping an eye out, and to everyone who came to the private viewing and the show.