Overview
This exhibition presents the work of Cambridgeshire based artist and sculptor Richard Bray and includes sculptural works throughout ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½â€™s College Gardens, alongside artworks in the Gallery and Combination Room.
Rhythm ∧ Space provides an exceptional opportunity to experience the dynamic, rhythmic and unexpected qualities of Bray's sculptures, alongside his hypnotic pen and ink drawings, the ambiguous forms of his abstract Indian-ink paintings and explore never before seen sketches and archival materials.
Together these artworks reflect Bray’s life-long interest in systems and structures on the one hand, and the role of chance, serendipity and randomness, on the other. In all of Bray’s work, the position and perspective of the viewer, play an integral role in shaping how it is experienced and understood. By working with the natural materials, which are inherently unpredictable, Bray introduces elements of risk and uncertainty adding a sense of precarious instability which is at once intriguing and compelling.
The use of the Logical ‘AND’ (∧) in the exhibition title, more commonly known in mathematics, indicates how we cannot isolate the ‘rhythm’ from the ‘space’ in the art of Richard Bray – the presence of one activates and validates the other. Rhythm ∧ Space indicates how they become inextricably linked, simultaneously true, and mutually dependent in Bray’s sculpture and art.
Rhythm ∧ Space suggests the co-existence of movement and void, positive and negative, silence and sound, visible and invisible elements. In both sculptures and drawings, Bray uses mesmeric repeating patterns which depend on both rhythm and space in order to exist and create visual meaning. The rhythm of Bray’s patterns, force the viewer's eye to travel across the surfaces of wood and paper, creating an optical illusion of movement and effectively transforming a static object into a dynamic experience with a given space. They are reminiscent of something automated or machine-made but are entirely hand-crafted and therefore necessarily imperfect and fundamentally natural, offering a deeply human experience in our technology-saturated times.
Influenced and informed by British land art and conceptual abstraction, Bray’s sculptures are designed to be in dialogue with their physical surroundings and always depend on the position and viewpoint of the observer. The rhythm of the sculpture changes depending on where you stand in relation to it, meaning the artwork is a function of both visual rhythm and physical space. In the gardens, the sculptures, constantly change, depending on the light, sun, shadows, rain, the time of day, month and year. They commune with the elegant modernist architecture of ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ and the natural and ever-changing colourscape of the College’s welcoming gardens.
This exhibition is curated by Dr. Anna M Dempster, Fellow, ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½.
ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ the artist
Richard Bray MRSS is a British artist and sculptor and current Chair of Cambridge Open Studios. He is renowned for his distinctive sculptures in wood, as well as abstract paintings and drawings. His work is held in many significant private and public collections in the UK and internationally.
Viewing the exhibition
Both parts of the exhibition are open to the public at weekends until Sunday 31 January.
Opening Times: Saturdays and Sundays, 10.00-17.00.
The exhibition is occasionally unavailable, for instance during graduations.
It is advisable to contact the Porters' Lodge in advance of your visit (01223 335900).
Access
Part of this exhibition is on display in the Combination Room and Gallery on the first floor of our main building. They have step-free access with a lift and there is also an accessible toilet located on the first floor of the building.
The other part of the exhibtion is on display in the College gardens which have fully step-free access.
Art Exhibitions at ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½
ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ has an established programme of exhibitions and artistic events which take place throughout the year and are framed by its modernist architecture, beautiful landscaped gardens and embedded into academic life.
Showcasing the work of both renowned international artists and innovative emerging artists, with the aim of stimulating reflection, discussion and debate, the art on show is enjoyed by both the academic and wider community. Our exhibitions are open to the general public and are visited by scholars, guests and visitors from around the world.
You can find out more about exhibitions at ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ on the Arts page.
Contact
If you have any questions, please contact our events team - events@wolfson.cam.ac.uk
