January 10 2004, Saturday, 10am-6pm (continues until February 8 2004, Sunday, closed)
AFTER CALIFORNIA (& ECUADOR)… FREYA PAYNE - RCA GRADUATE & ARTIST ORIGINALLY FROM CORNWALL, BUT NOW LIVING IN BRISTOL - EXHIBITS HER ARTISTIC WORKS WHICH FEATURE NATURAL MATERIALS, SUCH AS BRASS, DRIFTWOOD, HAIR, OAKWOOD, POPLAR WOOD, ETC.
It is some 10 years since artist, Freya Payne graduated from the Royal College of Art. Since then she has had solo exhibitions in California, as well as in several galleries around London. The artist's current exhibition, "Armour for the Broken Hearted" opened a few days ago at Flowers Central, an art gallery in London's Mayfair. And within minutes of arriving back home in London after our, "Twelve Days of Christmas" holiday we dashed along to the exhibition's private view to discover what it was all about. Well, the exhibition is named after Freya's oakwood piece of art, "Armour for the Broken Hearted" (£2,500) which can be seen on the gallery's back wall. The work contains some interesting text excerpts, like "hollow worlds," "into earth," and "useless armour." The exhibition's theme, it would seem, is to do with war and leans towards the latter-mentioned excerpt - suggesting that war is "useless"! One other exhibit, labelled, "Untitled," (£7,500) and placed in the centre of the gallery's floor-space, takes this thought further with a bed-like structure with feet at one end, a large space then many pieces of driftwood, etc., at the other end. Along two facing walls are a number of painted portraits - including portraits of people who had actually turned up for the evening's opening. Another wall, which shields the gallery's front window, holds twelve smallish art objects made from a variety of materials: brass; driftwood; hair; oakwood; poplar wood, etc.
Our favourites, being fond of all types of
text, are the "15cm x 9cm x 2.5cm, dark driftwood and hair, text in ink" (£400)
and the already-sold, "10cm x 10cm x 6cm, poplar wood, bone with text." (£400).
We also liked the three wooden works, each priced at, in the gallery's front window.
Although each is titled, "Petition," (£2,000 each and individually numbered)
they have their own individual characteristics. For example, the middle
"Petition" is partly lit up, whilst the ones on either side are not. They do,
however, have one thing in common... each has two small drawers which - when opened,
present you with a surprise! Our interest was grabbed with the two drawers lined with
segments of a real U.S dollar bill and South American paper money. This was one of the
topics we quizzed the artist about before leaving the gallery. When we had a chance, we
talked with her and discovered that Freya had travelled extensively throughout South
America. Her most memorable time was having her plane diverted from Ecuador's capital,
Quito, just as the city's neighbouring volcano, "Reventador," was erupting. So,
save the predicted stormy weather - that is due to "erupt" in London this coming
Monday - coming two days early, visit the exhibition this Saturday. Admission free.
E-mail... or telephone 020 7439 7766 for more information, if required. Location: Flowers
Central, Cork Street, London, W1. Tube station: Green Park (Jubilee, Piccadilly and
Victoria lines).
http://www.flowerseast.co.uk/
