Exhibition Opening @ Manning Regional Art Gallery

Exhibition dates: 12 March - 26 April 2020

OPENING EVENT Friday, 13 March / 6pm ENTRY $10 adults, $7 Friends, Members

RUTH DOWNES

BARELY WEARABLE: BODY ADORNMENT FOR THE AGE OF OVER-CONSUMPTION

This body of work is a continuation of Ruth Downes’ passion for reappropriating everyday materials and objects to celebrate their intrinsic beauty.

Materials for these thirty ‘wearable’ artworks have been gleaned from a diverse range of sources – from aircraft headsets to coffee capsules. Detritus from nature has also been salvaged to be re-born as a fashion statement. By reimagining these materials she has created works that transcend their utilitarian function, casting them in a fresh light. The works question our accepted values and how we award status by projecting these everyday materials into the realm of art. They have a preciousness that confounds our expectations irrespective of their humble origins. This is much more than a simple ‘upcycling’ exercise - Downes has an acute awareness of the potential of these materials. Her trademark humour also runs as a thread throughout the exhibition adding a further dimension.

These 3D works are mounted on a spectrum of coloured ellipses (35 – 75cm high) with several ‘busting out’ on mounted body forms. The works are augmented by photographs which reveal varying degrees of wearability.

 

 

 

When

Location

Manning Regional Art Gallery, 12 Macquarie Street, TAREE, 2430, View Map