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Exhibitions
Trees and Other Lives - Roger Steele
Roger's initial art training took place in Canada, comprised of 3 years at the Kootenay School of
Art, British Columbia, and a further 2 years of Post Graduate Study, at the Banff Centre,
Alberta. That was now longer ago than he cares to remember!
The majority of work in this exhibition was created during the past 10 years. Much, but not
all, is landscape and most of it is concerned with aspects of the various climate changes that
we all now face.
Roger explains:
Landscape can be deceiving. Both an actual environment and a painted representative of the
scene can conceal a great deal. It is often not apparent how polluted an area, or by
implication, its representation is. For instance, how much weight of plastic lays on, under or
floats in it. What chemicals have been absorbed into its soils and waterways. And clear-cut
forests or woodlands, well they are seldom the subject matter of choice for landscape
artists.
We spread and our cities spread eating away at the green margins. Ever increasingly plastic
spreads too, polluting land and water and eventually entering the food chain for man and
other animals. Now micro plastics are being found in human placentas, breast milk and
blood. Some species of sea birds and whales die with full stomachs, full with our waste
plastic.
Despite all of this, plants still manage to bloom and their flowers still exchange gifts with
their pollinators. And many people remain delighted and astonished at the beauty and
immense complexity of the natural world that sustains all life on our planet. And those
people are protective towards the earth, aiming to make a difference before it is too late.
But our politicians, our multinational corporations and our heads of industry what are they
protecting?
Art, British Columbia, and a further 2 years of Post Graduate Study, at the Banff Centre,
Alberta. That was now longer ago than he cares to remember!
The majority of work in this exhibition was created during the past 10 years. Much, but not
all, is landscape and most of it is concerned with aspects of the various climate changes that
we all now face.
Roger explains:
Landscape can be deceiving. Both an actual environment and a painted representative of the
scene can conceal a great deal. It is often not apparent how polluted an area, or by
implication, its representation is. For instance, how much weight of plastic lays on, under or
floats in it. What chemicals have been absorbed into its soils and waterways. And clear-cut
forests or woodlands, well they are seldom the subject matter of choice for landscape
artists.
We spread and our cities spread eating away at the green margins. Ever increasingly plastic
spreads too, polluting land and water and eventually entering the food chain for man and
other animals. Now micro plastics are being found in human placentas, breast milk and
blood. Some species of sea birds and whales die with full stomachs, full with our waste
plastic.
Despite all of this, plants still manage to bloom and their flowers still exchange gifts with
their pollinators. And many people remain delighted and astonished at the beauty and
immense complexity of the natural world that sustains all life on our planet. And those
people are protective towards the earth, aiming to make a difference before it is too late.
But our politicians, our multinational corporations and our heads of industry what are they
protecting?
Secular Art From Sacred Roots - Ian Chapman & Linda Wheeler
Ian is a practicing sculptor, conceptual and installation artist; based in Norwich since 2021. After
moving from Manchester to study at Hornsey College of Art and Chelsea School of Art Ian has
exhibited in, and curated, many individual, group, community and public exhibitions across the
country; significantly in London and Oxfordshire. Ian has also fulfilled roles as a visiting artist,
senior lecturer, curriculum developer and course director in a career spanning some thirty
years.
“ The nature of my practice involves apparently ritualistic, and seemingly esoteric processes,
such as French polishing, along with object and materials selections which give rise to the
introduction of artefacts and scenarios into the world that can be simply mystifying,
understatedly lyrical or merely smile inducing; though rarely literally translatable, or wholly
rational - being closer in spirit to poetry and musical composition than to more traditionally
visual art, ”
Linda Wheeler is a painter, photographer and writer, with a particular interest in the natural
world. She spent many years teaching in further and higher education, and is committed to life
long learning opportunities for all. At the University of the Highlands and Islands, she led the team that designed and delivered a new fine art degree, using innovative technologies to reach diverse and remote campuses. Latterly, at the University of the Arts London, Linda was Senior Educational
Developer, working with colleagues to improve the student learning experience.
moving from Manchester to study at Hornsey College of Art and Chelsea School of Art Ian has
exhibited in, and curated, many individual, group, community and public exhibitions across the
country; significantly in London and Oxfordshire. Ian has also fulfilled roles as a visiting artist,
senior lecturer, curriculum developer and course director in a career spanning some thirty
years.
“ The nature of my practice involves apparently ritualistic, and seemingly esoteric processes,
such as French polishing, along with object and materials selections which give rise to the
introduction of artefacts and scenarios into the world that can be simply mystifying,
understatedly lyrical or merely smile inducing; though rarely literally translatable, or wholly
rational - being closer in spirit to poetry and musical composition than to more traditionally
visual art, ”
Linda Wheeler is a painter, photographer and writer, with a particular interest in the natural
world. She spent many years teaching in further and higher education, and is committed to life
long learning opportunities for all. At the University of the Highlands and Islands, she led the team that designed and delivered a new fine art degree, using innovative technologies to reach diverse and remote campuses. Latterly, at the University of the Arts London, Linda was Senior Educational
Developer, working with colleagues to improve the student learning experience.
Persephone and Demeter, a mother and daughter collaboration by Jan and Tracky Crombie
The works in this show have been created both collaboratively and individually by mother and daughter Jan and Tracky Crombie. Choosing to respond to the Greek myth of Persephone, and her mother Demeter, they have found themes that are relevant to them both. Exploring what it means to their relationship as mother and daughter that they both have an artistic practice they have also been reflecting on the influence of their European heritage.
Revisiting the creative play that happens naturally in childhood, part of the project has been to develop a visual language that could include both of their ways of working. Jan Crombie’s practice includes paintings and ceramic sculpture and is based in Norwich. Tracky Crombie has a broad-based practice which includes surface pattern design and printmaking and lives and works in London.
Jan Crombie was born in an artists' commune, spent much of her childhood in Vienna, and now lives and works in Norwich UK. She has been a lecturer in Fine Art Painting at Oxford Brookes University. After studying for a BA Fine Art at Goldsmiths College she completed a postgraduate degree at Oxford University. Her work has been the subject of solo shows and group shows both in the UK and Europe and her work is held in the New Hall collection of Women’s Art.
Themes in her work around identity, motherhood, migration, and imaginary post-human societies are given a face, a story and a context.
Tracky Crombie is a surface pattern designer and printmaker, her work draws together issues around access, control, bodies and power with ecological ideals. She creates projects rooted in communities, in ecology, sustainability, queerness and patterns. Her pattern work combines illustration and abstract prints to create contemporary unique pieces for a multitude of surface options. She draws on her European heritage taking inspiration from Hungarian folk art. Tracky lives and works in London after studying a BA in performance art at Goldsmiths.
Revisiting the creative play that happens naturally in childhood, part of the project has been to develop a visual language that could include both of their ways of working. Jan Crombie’s practice includes paintings and ceramic sculpture and is based in Norwich. Tracky Crombie has a broad-based practice which includes surface pattern design and printmaking and lives and works in London.
Jan Crombie was born in an artists' commune, spent much of her childhood in Vienna, and now lives and works in Norwich UK. She has been a lecturer in Fine Art Painting at Oxford Brookes University. After studying for a BA Fine Art at Goldsmiths College she completed a postgraduate degree at Oxford University. Her work has been the subject of solo shows and group shows both in the UK and Europe and her work is held in the New Hall collection of Women’s Art.
Themes in her work around identity, motherhood, migration, and imaginary post-human societies are given a face, a story and a context.
Tracky Crombie is a surface pattern designer and printmaker, her work draws together issues around access, control, bodies and power with ecological ideals. She creates projects rooted in communities, in ecology, sustainability, queerness and patterns. Her pattern work combines illustration and abstract prints to create contemporary unique pieces for a multitude of surface options. She draws on her European heritage taking inspiration from Hungarian folk art. Tracky lives and works in London after studying a BA in performance art at Goldsmiths.
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