Art Into Science September 11th – October 20th
This exhibition explores two very different approaches to the depiction of the natural world. The use of and the interpretation of light is integral to the vision of both artists’ work but the outcomes are very different.
This set of new and recent watercolour paintings by Yorkshire artist Richard Pottas continues his fascination with how to depict the intimate aspects of nature. His work encourages the viewer to become more involved in the process of looking, to observe and to appreciate the detail of natural forms and to see beyond the initial impression. The work exhibited in this show may appear very different in outcome but whether figurative or non-figurative they all derive from the same starting point and build, layer upon layer, to create a complex surface which reveals hidden depth on closer inspection. Richard Pottas’s work is found in many private collections.
Phycologist Jane Pottas has produced a body of work using a technique first introduced in the Victorian era – the cyanotype. The production of cyanotypes involves treating a surface with a light sensitive chemical solution upon which objects are placed and then exposed to ultra violet light. Following the period of exposure the chemicals are washed off leaving an image of the subject which develops as if by magic on the treated material! Each cyanotype produced in this way is unique, each one different from all others depending on a number of variables – the composition of the chemical solution, the type of paper (or other surface), the particular arrangement of objects on the paper, exposure time and so on. The images presented include subjects of particular interest to the maker and hopefully the viewer also.
