The Dandy & the Mute

Oriel Myrddin, Carmarthen, Wales

11 Jan – 1 Mar 2014

The Dandy & The Mute was my solo exhibition at Oriel Myrddin Gallery. In this work, the desire to reveal, test out and show off were central concerns, as too were the accompanying (and seemingly opposing) inclinations to veil, conceal and contain.

A restrained flourish, a guarded flamboyance – competing tendencies at play.

Through this exhibition and earlier works I sought to demonstrate my ongoing enjoyment and exploration of a variety of malleable materials, revealing the ways in which they can be worked and transformed to test my interests in concealment and display. I describe this process as a seductive and productive space between two opposing forces.

In this site specific installation for Oriel Myrddin Gallery I carefully chose shapes and shades observed within the building’s architecture to inform the design and tonal palette of the overall scene.

A review by Phil Owen is published in Issue 2 pages 88-89 of CCQ – Culture Colony Quarterly

The Dandy & the Mute, installation view, oak frame mirror piece fabricated by Ian Chaney