An exhibition of abstract sculpture and painting by nine multigenerational women and non-binary contemporary artists from London, the North and Ireland.
Many contemporary artists make works that are abstract, yet they do not define them as such. TSM want to reclaim the word and open up conversations about how abstract sculpture and painting speaks to many through their visual languages which, through use of material and space refers indirectly to the complex world we live in. Visual concepts of form, spatial relationships, presentation and visual independence will become apparent across the works in the show, fuelling discussions that explore and dissect the language surrounding the artists’ respective practices and how they each engage with ideas.
TSM is an exhibiting and discussion forum formed in 2019 by abstract sculptors Gillian Brent MRSS, Alexandra Harley MRSS and Sheila Vollmer MRSS. The group has an established exhibition profile exploring contemporary abstract sculpture, generating dialogue and supporting multi-generational women’s practices in the genre.
For this show, TSM invites sculptors Katrina Cowling, Charlotte Cullen MRSS and Beatrice Galletley MRSS and, for the first time, painters Jackie Askew, Day Bowman and Ellen Ransom to show with them.
Each time TSM exhibits they host free public discussions about their practice, ideologies and experiences of working as women abstract artists, aiming to provide an inclusive environment for audiences to engage and respond to it on their terms.
The discussion for Abstract Vernacular - Continuing Conversations will be chaired by eminent curator and writer Natalie Rudd, who curated Breaking the Mould: Sculpture by Women since 1945, an Arts Council Collection touring exhibition. It will offer an exchange of ideas around the languages of abstract art and the evolving nature of women’s art practices, including the parallels between abstract painting and sculpture.
