Telling Secrets: New Work From Aire Valley Arts

A new exhibition at The Bingley Gallery takes as its theme the telling of secrets. The artists are all members of Aire Valley Arts. The West Yorkshire group aims to be adventurous in their creativity. One of their ways of encouraging artists to step outside their normal genres, and comfort zones is to set an exhibition title or theme to which all have to work towards.

After several, often frivolous and soon abandoned ideas, the theme of ‘Telling Secrets’ was settled on. – a decision that led to much uncertainty as to how to paint, stitch, weave, print or mould the process of conveying confidences. The result is a remarkable variety of offerings.

Manningham based Kate Stewart’s truly exquisite work combines watercolour and embroidery on fabric. She is a great observer of people and the way they communicate and has three studies of conversations in the show.  Do these concern long-held secrets? We’d like to think so.

Karen Rowley was one or the original members of the group back in 1995. She has delved beyond human secrets into an exploration of communication in the animal kingdom. focusing on the unique ways animals convey hidden messages to each other as well as to humans. As she explained. “In some cases, our pets’ faces reveal secrets they would rather not tell!” One of these, ‘It Wasn’t Me’ features a dog whose expression suggests otherwise.

But can inanimate objects share secrets?, Under the brush of Martin Cosgrove, even a bowl of pears take on a conspiratorial air. Martin can trace his roots in Bingley and Harden back to the 1700’s and so has a long attachment to the region, but he’s not primarily a landscape artist and prefers to work around concepts often re-working masterpieces have attracted and mystified himself. Euan Unglow’s ‘In the Shadow of the Cyprus’ and the colour field works of Mark Rothko are amongst the art that receive this treatment in the current show.

Jane Fielder’s quirky and atmospheric watercolours are instantly recognisable, even if her usual washing line is missing, the location for her ‘Secrets on the Tow Path’ is Five Rise Locks, near her home in Bingley.

Anne Marwick who lives in Ben Rhydding, explores the emotions of keeping secrets hidden, of the relief of unburdening ourselves of them and of the process by which they are shared to others. The paintings are boldly painted in oil pastel and gouache.

Paul Hudson is amongst the most versatile of the group, and his offerings include etchings, ink pen and painted work. With his great interest in the human past, he has based works on folk law’s suggestion that Ravens overhear human private conversation and reveal people’s secrets to others. On a similar note, Jan Whittock’s ‘A little Bird Told Me’ picks up on the traditional belief that birds hold stores of knowledge. In this case the work is a collagraph print to which gold leaf has been added to emphasise the precious nature of secrets.

The international nature of the Aire Valley Arts group is shown in two members, Judy Sale and Helen Shearwood. Judy is a native of the USA who travelled the world before settling in Haworth. Her work ‘The Monk is Drunk’ is based on a life drawing in which the model donned a robe. For Judy, this brought back a memory of a monk on a Cypriot work camp who struggled to hide his inebriation. Helen is a native of West Australia, who worked closely with AVA whilst on an extended stay in the UK, and has remained a member since. The secret she tells is the unexpected beauty that can be found in everyday objects, such as rubbish bins and lampposts. In the exhibition, her works are based on close-up photographs of fellow artist Jane Fielder’s discarded paint palette. When hand embellished. they emphasise the infinite beauty to be found in every moment of our ordinary lives, each piece whispers its secrets of unexpected beauty … sometimes hidden, always here.

Several of Sue Strange’s paintings are based on overheard conversations, but otherwise she was keeping tight lipped about the thought process behind her work – a secret indeed, Finally, gallery owner, David Starley is an artist who frequently paints woodland. In his impasto oil painting a tree reveals its own secret, as the home for a tawny owl, another bird with a reputation for wisdom. His other paintings draw on his earlier career as an archaeologist and feature monuments and finds that have stories to tell about our distant ancestors.

There’s nothing secret to the times and location of the exhibition; it runs 10-5 Thursday to Sunday from 2 May to 2 June.

The exhibition will be launched at The Bingley Gallery on the evening of 1 May (7-9pm)