1st June 2021
Mayor Officially Opens Down to Earth Exhibit at Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre!
Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre in Limavady is thrilled to open its galleries to the public with a new exhibition by contemporary artist Millie Moore opened by Mayor Mark Fielding.
Millie lives and works in Banbridge, County Down. Since graduating in 2013 from Ulster University with a first-class honours degree in Fine Art she has continued to develop her practice informed by her experience and respect for the natural environment. Solitary walking in the rural landscape offers quiet space for observation, to marvel at the cycle of the seasons, to question the history of place.
She notes:
"There is something about solitary walking that allows body and mind to work together, a kind of rhythmic act, an aloneness that is anything but lonely."
Reflecting on the body of work in this exhibition, Millie says: “It is drawn from my experience of this daily repetitive action of wandering through the landscape. It observes the earth itself, open, honest and direct which throughout the pandemic has stood sure. Nature continues to display its glorious mantle and to walk this place gives a grounding to my thoughts and mood. A quiet space to think, commit to memory and record. Rotation of earth and crops in the fields makes sense as I contemplate the farmer plough, seed and harvest only to begin the cycle once more.
“Back in the studio recollections of place come flooding back as I face the blank canvas. Moments in time are recalled through drawing marks or brush stokes mirroring furrows or undulations, the Drumlins of County Down. Patterns of overhead clouds bring colour and shape affecting the surface of earth below. Canvases range from small snapshots to larger vistas, abstracted yet holding a trace of place.”
“A sculptural element has been added to the exhibition placed to complement the hung work. Formed vessels shaped from handmade silk paper exhibit rust print on a surface augmented with hand embroidery. Filled with gathered seed heads collected on winter walks these containers further meditate on my roaming.
“Down to Earth reflects not only my thoughts from the past year but also communicates who I am, an artist and a walker gatherer.”
You can find more information on the exhibition, which continues until July 3rd, at https://www.roevalleyarts.com/exhibitions/down-to-earth
