On Saturday, January 29 the Rye Art Gallery (RAG)Â opened their new show for friends, visitors and artists with a glass of bubbly and amazingly tasty cakes from katjascakes.co.uk. Some new and existing artists are on view, the new exhibits in galleries 3/4 show off Paula MacArthur’s artwork, bold, different and in brilliant colours.
Paula trained at the Royal Academy, has exhibited internationally and works from her studio in Rye. She was a John Moore prize winner in 1993 and first-prize winner at the National Portrait Gallery in 1989. Paula’s current focus in her art is crystals and jewels, which are explorations of colour and light. The spacious solitary stones are displayed as icons which “lure us in and quietly invite us to investigate the multifaceted associations we bring to these treasures.” (Paula). Through the slow, meditative process of painting, these valuable objects reveal themselves to Paula, touching upon issues like materialism and environment, as well as society’s desire to accumulate treasures.
The show ends on March 30. The gallery is open Monday to Saturday, 11am-5pm and Saturday, 11am-4pm. For any further details please go to ryeartgallery.co.uk or phone 01797 222 433.
Image Credits: Kenneth Bird , Heidi Foster .