Tim Pearce’s Cubist revolution in art and sculpture goes on show at Village Gallery

“Movement on a static surface”, as captured in Tim Pearce’s Sprint For The Line

FORMS In Motion, an exhibition by York painter and ceramicist Tim Pearce, opens at Village Gallery, Colliergate, York, tomorrow.

After a career as an arts educator in South Yorkshire schools, Tim moved to York, where he has intensified his creativity on a full-time basis.

“I’ve developed a passionate involvement with what might loosely be described as a Cubist aesthetic in relation to form, colour and rhythm,” he says.

Rotational Relief, ceramic sculpture, by Tim Pearce

Whatever the precise subject of any individual piece may be, the dominant theme of his work, whether abstract or representational, is the rendering of movement on a static surface.

“The frequent depiction of events and life forms in motion where the passage of time – often in seconds – is condensed into a single image is a strand that runs through much of Tim’s 2D creativity,” says gallery owner Simon Main.

“Now, he has seized the opportunity to extend his fascination for geometric fragmentation, rhythmically intersecting planes and the ambiguous articulations of negative space into his sculptural ceramics too.”

“Cubist aesthetic”: Tim Pearce’s Durham Busker

Tim’s sensitivity to a “Cubo-futurist” vocabulary, characterised by shifting perspectives, geometric dislocations and playful ambiguities, is further enriched by his responsiveness to a wide range of stimuli.

Forms In Motion runs from tomorrow to August 27; gallery opening hours are 10am to 4pm, Tuesday to Saturday.

To complement the rolling programme of six-week exhibitions, Village Gallery stocks Lalique glass and crystal and sells art, jewellery, ceramics, glass and sculpture, often by York artists.

Trial Form For Garden Fountain, ceramic sculpture, by Tim Pearce

Leeds Fine Artists relish chance to start exhibiting again at Blossom Street Gallery

Crucifixion, in tropical hardwood, by George Hainsworth, is the undoubted conversation piece of Leeds Fine Artists’ LFA In York exhibition at Blossom Street Gallery. The price? On application only.

BLOSSOM Street Gallery, York, welcomes 24 artists from Leeds Fine Artists in its reopening exhibition under Step 2 of lockdown relaxation.

LFA member and exhibition co-organiser Tim Pearce is delighted at the chance to show work on gallery walls and floors at last, and likewise for gallery visitors to experience art close up once more.

“With so many art galleries having been closed for so much of the past 12 months, and with exhibitions largely appearing as virtual online sets of reproductions, most of us have inevitably been starved of access to original works of art for what seems like an eternity,” he says.


The poster for Leeds Fine Artists’ LFA In York exhibition

“So, it is with genuine excitement that Blossom Street Gallery, next to Micklegate Bar, is exhibiting a splendid mixed collection of work by 24 of our members.

“Such was the success of our 2019 show that Kim Oldfield, the gallery owner, invited us back to launch the reopening as we emerge from lockdown.”

Representing one of Yorkshire’s longest established art groups, the 24 artists are showing a diverse range of subject matter and media: paintings, etchings, montages, woodcarving and ceramics now shown to best effect beneath the Blossom Street gallery’s newly installed lighting.

It’s Pop Art! It’s Pop Art!, by Roger Gardner

Taking part in LFA In York are: Sharron Astbury-Petit, mixed media on wood panel; Malcolm Barton, oil on board; Julia Borodina, acrylic paintings; Jane Burgess, oils; Terry Chipp, acrylics on canvas; Michael Curvgenven, ink, carbon pencil and oil pastels; Alison Flowers, mixed media, and Roger Gardner, mixed media and oil on panel.

So too are: George Hainsworth, tropical hardwood; Lucy Hainsworth, oils; Keith Harris, oils; Inger Huddleston, screened watercolour monoprints; Nicholas Jagger, collagraph and woodblock print; Miriam Laville, acrylic and collage on canvas; Mark Murphy, pencil on paper, and Tim Pearce, glazed ceramic stoneware.

Contributing works too are: Neil Pittaway, watercolours; Trevor Pittaway, acrylics; Annie Robinson, acrylics; Liz Salter, mixed media on paper; Geraldine Thompson, oils on wood; Catherine Warburton, gelli-printed cotton with hand and machine and gelli-printed acrylic with watercolour and pastel, and Emma Whitelock, watercolour, graphite and wax resist.

Ponton de Peche – Moonlit, acrylic on canvas, by Terry Chipp

LFA IN York runs until June 21; gallery opening hours are Friday to Monday, 10am to 4pm. Covid-secure, socially distanced measures are in place under Government guidance.

What is Leeds Fine Artists?

LEEDS Fine Artists (LFA) is an association drawn from across Yorkshire, not only Leeds. Founded in Leeds in 1874, it has more than 50 exhibiting members, working in 2D and 3D, and typically the LFA holds four shows a year, including the annual exhibition at the Crossley Gallery, Dean Clough, Halifax.

The website, at leedsfineartists.co.uk, provides extensive information and gallery pages on each artist’s work and wider activities. Applications to join LFA can be made via this website.

Artworks from the LFA In York exhibition at Blossom Street Gallery, York. At the front are two glazed ceramic stoneware forms by Tim Pearce

No York Open Studios in April, but all that art still needs a new home, so look here…DAY FIVE

A cyclone of cyclists rushing by in Tim Pearce’s painting

YORK Open Studios 2020, the chance to meet 144 artists at 100 locations over two April weekends, has had to be cancelled in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, with doors sadly shut for the April 17 to 19 and April 25 to 26 event, CharlesHutchPress wants to champion the creativity of York’s artists and makers, who would have been showcasing ceramics, collage, digital, illustration, jewellery, mixed media, painting, print, photography, sculpture and textiles.

Each day, in brochure order, five artists who now miss out on the exposure of Open Studios will be given a pen portrait on these pages, because so much art and craft will have been created for the event and still needs a new home. Addresses will not be included at this time.

Tim Pearce with one of his sculptural ceramics

Tim Pearce, mixed media

AFTER a fulfilling career in art education in South Yorkshire schools, Tim latterly has expanded his own creativity to include ceramics as well as painting, all supported by academic degrees in the history of art and the visual arts at MA level.

His paintings and sculptural ceramics are both informed by a Cubist sensitivity to form, colour and rhythm, displayed in studio, house and garden.

Since moving to York eight years ago he has held four solo shows, in addition to exhibiting regularly across Yorkshire with Leeds Fine Artists. Head to timp360@btinternet.com for more info.

Fuselage, by Linda Harvey

Linda Harvey, textiles

INSPIRED by frequent trips to the Yorkshire Air Museum, at Halifax Way, Elvington, York, Linda’s latest work explores rustic textures and pattern in framed textile art pieces, wall hangings and handmade cards.

Linda Harvey: Gaining inspiration from days out at the Yorkshire Air Museum

Linda, who studied textiles and surface design, graduating in 1994, often will work on several pieces at a time and enjoys an expressive and experimental way of working. She layers, rust-dyes, prints and distresses her fabrics and adds embellishments to create abstract one-off pieces.

Linda has taught textiles for more than 20 years and is a member of York Textile Artists. Contact her at lindaharvey18@sky.com or via facebook.com/LindaHarveyTextileArtist.

Furniture maker John Watts in his workshop

John Watts, furniture

JOHN has been designing and making contemporary furniture since 1996 for both private and corporate clients.

Working from a 3,000 sq.ft workshop on the outskirts of York, he uses a wide range of materials, predominately sustainably forested hardwoods from both England and abroad, while often incorporating glass, metals and resins too.

Garden furniture by John Watts

Undertaking domestic and commercial projects, he hand-builds pieces of furniture of longevity and value. “My main aim is to create interesting, individual and well-crafted furniture that satisfies customer requirements,” says John, who has a bespoke service available.

“My design influences are many, having a history in antiques, fashion design and design education,” he adds. To knock on wood, head to johnwattsfurniture.co.uk.

“Design should be fun,” reckons furniture maker Wilf Williams

Wilf Williams, furniture

DESIGN should be fun , interesting, practical and beautiful, says York furniture maker and designer Wilf Williams.

Bristol-born Wilf studied furniture design after moving to York in 1996, since when he has produced hand-made furniture inspired by traditional cabinet making, Scandinavian furniture, contemporary clean lines, modernist architecture and minimalist sculpture and art.

Walnut sideboard, by Wilf Williams

Wilf has worked on all manner of commissions, designing and crafting distinctive, bespoke free-standing and fitted furniture, using a diverse range of materials, predominantly sustainable forested hardwoods. Visit his website at wilfwilliams.co.uk.

Galilee No 3937, collage, by Jerry Scott

Jerry Scott, collage

JERRY constructs small and medium-sized abstract collages from printed paper originated by the artist, then pasted on to cartridge paper, using conservation-grade wheat starch paste. Sometimes, he applies hand-colouring too.

“I started making collages about five years ago, in parallel with painting,” he says. “I’ve always been interested in surface pattern and all sorts of decoration. With the freedom and sophistication of modern digital technology, it is now possible to produce single sheets of high quality, crisp and colour-rich printed papers.” Cue collages.

Collage artist Jerry Scott

Jerry moved to York 33 years ago. Earlier he had studied theology briefly at Cambridge University, then fine art at Norwich School of Art and St Martin’s School of Art, London, where he lived and worked before heading north.

He has a variety of abstract prints for sale too. View his work at jerryscottpaintings.co.uk.

TOMORROW: Claire Cooper; Zoe Catherine Kendal; Cathy Denford; Hacer Ozturk and Chrissie Dell.