SANDRA HIGGINS ART
RUTH PIPER
Artist's Statement:
'Emblems of Hope is a developing body of work that began in 2017.
Central to the work are notions of transition and transformation that link to a strong sense of place both physical and psychological. The paintings occupy a hidden symbolic space where dreams and reality merge.
I am motivated by a desire to capture the sensation of something that is known but at the same time completely unknown by attempting to transform simple and familiar surroundings into a mythology of place and belonging by fusing the peculiarities of memory, imagination and constructed reality.
Manifested as hidden areas on the margins of human occupation, composite landscapes emerge, that have a nocturnal and sometimes unsettling appearance. They are built up or layered from elements against a dark background from which verdant plant forms grow and amorphous shapes emerge. The details are either invented or observed separately in different places creating a gentle romantic and at the same time melancholic atmosphere.'
Having graduated with a degree in Fashion and Textiles and later an MA in Painting, Ruth's illustrious career has seen her work exhibited across the UK in a number solo exhibitions and residencies in Bristol, Bath, Cornwall, London and Yorkshire.
Based in Bristol, Ruth is also the Consultant Gallery Co-ordinator at Bristol's much-loved and venerated Centrespace Gallery - a gallery and co-operative studio space that prides itself in showcasing fresh and diverse work across art forms.