Exhibition – Victoria Rance – otherworld – the White Box Gallery – Blackheath London
On Saturday 2nd March I visited ‘the otherworld’ at the White box gallery in Blackheath. Artist Victoria Rance is inspired by the lost nature of Blackheath “imagining Blackheath as it once was, and could be again if it were re-inhabited by its lost creatures and local spirits’ (source the otherworld exhibition catalogue). Taking inspiration from the Wildlife that was recorded on Blackheath in Victorian times Victoria Rance has created a series of tiny pewter sculptures that evoke the past as a response to how urbanisation has played a part in the decline of some of these species.
The white box gallery is an airy and light gallery situated in a busy and unique area of London where a thriving modern village with heavy traffic on route to central London meets the natural common land of the heath. Opposite the gallery is the hare and billet pond an impressive natural feature.
As I entered the gallery I was met with a bright white space I instantly felt a sense of serenity and calm. On white plinths against a curved black structure grouped in miniature theatrical scenes were tiny creatures each one had there own individual character. Cast in pewter using various methods developed by the artist, the surface of the sculptures are etched with tiny textural organic markings that that add a unique feel and interest to the shiny metallic pewter. These tiny talismanic creatures are inspired from Mythology, fairy tales and Rance’s imagination. The magical creatures included Loki the bat hybrid figure, some hares; black dog walking is an impressive mesmerising figure with out stretched arms and a regal head reminiscent of an Egyptian god. There was a fascinating she tree – a tree like goddess with a miniature face hidden among the branches of the tree. Among the figures were also grouped tree like sculptures including the interestingly shaped Loki tree the birth place of Loki. Within the elaborate flowing foliage of the tree is revealed a tiny face. Each of the tiny sculptures as I carefully looked at them revealed many subtle surprises. I felt that by placing the sculptures onto the plinths Rance had added a sense of reverence to each of the figures.
Placed in a glass dome was ‘Thorness ‘constructed out of wax and thorns. Rance explained that ‘Thorness’ has the capacity to curse people that do bad things to the heath and that some visitors have found her quite scary. Rance also revealed that when she had installed ‘Thorness ‘in the gallery ‘ Thorness’ thorns had pricked her and drawn blood. For me ‘Thorness was the standout piece of the show. Standing in profile there is a visceral yet fragile and timeless quality to ‘Thorness ‘. Viewed from the side in profile I was drawn to the tiny facial features of the piece. The piece for me had a fascinating spellbinding presence – it was as if ‘Thorness’ owned the space in the gallery.
Looking out towards the pond in the window of the gallery are a collection of tiny pewter otherworld creatures including sheep and tadpoles and some interesting seals like hybrids dated from 2015-16. These tiny characters in contrast to the later work have a smooth reflective surface that causes the light in the gallery to bounce off their shiny surfaces. I have seen these pieces before but despite this they never fail to fascinate me. I like the way they appeared to survey and look out towards the pond and the heath reflecting on a former world
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Also on display were some drawings all of them with black frames that complimented the white space of the gallery. There were 4 drawings of stags / faun’s. “Stag at night ‘and ‘stag and faun ‘both dated 2016 ( acrylic inks and wax) had exquisite fine brush marks to suggest the texture of the creatures. The fluidity of media and the monochromic hues suggest a ghostly ethereal quality that is both powerful and visceral. There was also a lively ink drawing of an owl.
REFLECTION
I really enjoyed the exhibition- it was thoughtful, inspirational and moving. The idea of giving a voice to the lost spirits and creatures of the heath really resonated with me , as in a sense Rance is evoking a powerful message about change and the fragility of urban nature by reminding us that London’s heath lands and common land was once home to many species of animals and fauna. She is also reminding us that we need to protect what wildlife remains. This is a powerful and relevant message that I feel needs to be told. I really like how the past, present and possibly the future is referenced as I feel this adds impact and asks the viewer to really think about the message behind the exhibition.
I was really impressed with Rance’s energy and commitment to her art producing most of the pewter characters within the last three months. She explained to me that she has been re-reading fairytales from her childhood. These fairytales and her imagination have collided to inspire this exhibition. It was also interesting to talk about folk tales and storytelling traditions. Viewing the ghostly spectral Stag I was reminded of a book from my childhood that talked about a phantom white stag in Greenwich Park during the reign of Henry V111. Unfortunately it was an old book belonging to my grandfather so I cannot remember its author or title, or even where the book is.
I also liked the link between nature and spirits and how this link can be explored visually by creating art. I also learn about casting in pewter using cuttlefish.
It was also interesting to learn about how to curate an exhibition- including installing pieces and how to use a gallery space for maximum impact.
I would like to thank Victoria Rance for gifting me an exhibition catalogue, for an interesting conversation and for allowing to write about her show and to sketch her artwork.
RESOURCES
http://www.victoriarance.com/ ( accessed March 2019)
https://victoriarance.blogspot.com/p/sculpture-to-hold.html ( accessed March 2019)
Sarah Davis BA Open College of the Arts 