Exhibition preview – In Darkness Blooms

The Cereus flower, also known as the Night Princess, opens only in the hours of darkness, bearing a sumptuous fragrance. ‘In Darkness Blooms’ features six artists that express their connection to their hidden worlds.  They capture and cultivate a magical beauty that seeks enlightenment and hope from inner darkness.

Rosie Emerson adopts a unique medium known as collage photography. Large-scale works are created from digital manipulation of photographs of women overlaid with jewellery and styled with paint and ink. Emerging from the shadows are striking images, meticulously planned, but oozing drama and intrigue.

Beth Carter makes a welcome return to View with new pieces that perfectly interpret the exhibition theme. Her self-imagined mythical creatures challenge the immediacy of our judgments and encourage us to look inside the mind. Is the initially imposing 7-foot minotaur a powerful aggressor or is he a vulnerable and thoughtful beast?

In Damian Daly’s drawings we see an artist combining total freedom of expression with incredible technical quality. In this new collection he creates 10 characters that are born from a single stroke of a pencil. Each being evolves as the artist observes and builds on his own creation, triggering the next movement from an almost unconscious state, bringing his inner thoughts, memories and imagination to the fore.

The work of George J Harding was the inspiration behind the exhibition theme. The multiple layering of dark resin over flowers creates a world where beauty is preserved forever but can be touched only by our imagination. Are these delicate objects protected or imprisoned?

As the work of Fran Williams continues to soar in popularity, this all new collection retains the raw emotion in subtle tones of self portraiture narrative. A seemingly in-exhaustive expression of feeling continues to grab our hearts and tie them in knots as we are stimulated to reflect on our own personal interpretations. Devil and angel interchanges with every fleeting glance.

The art of tattooing plays an important role in Jacob Dahlstrup’s sculptures and drawings. From paper to skulls and human bodies, there appears to be no constraint on the objects which can be the subject of these intricate markings. New work for View focuses on the artist’s favourite medium of charcoal pencil, but the subjects are far from traditional.

Images of some of the work in the show can be found on our Facebook pages. Details of all work, including pricing and dimensions is available in our online catalogue.

In Darkness Blooms opens at View Art Gallery on November 4 and runs through to January 8, 2012. Gallery members private view is on November 3.