If you like your art to be quirky, fun, and full of colour, then head to the Barbican this summer for ‘Wish You Were Here’ – the latest exhibition by the five artists of the Plymouth Colour Collective.
The Collective – Brian Pollard, Arth Lawr, Lou C Fused Glass, Laura Edmunds of Serendipity Sea Crafts, and Henry Sells – will be presenting all-new work at the exhibition at the Kaya Gallery in Southside Street from 20-30 August.
For Brian, who has been a leading light in Britain’s naive art scene for over 40 years, the venue is just perfect for the Collective:
“The Barbican is the spiritual home of art and artisans in Plymouth, the artistic energy of the city,” he said.
“It is such a creative, stimulating place. And the Kaya Gallery itself is very encouraging and supportive of artists. So, it’s absolutely ideal for us.”
The Plymouth Colour Collective was launched in 2020 by Brain, Arth, Lou and Laura, and grew to five last year when Henry joined the group. Together, the five artists present a diverse offering: Brian is well-known for his paintings that are inspired by South West landmarks; Arth’s miniature acrylics pack a lot of brightly-coloured detail into his canvases which can be as small as 4cm x 5cm; Henry’s contemporary paintings, by contrast, are large format with an unusual take on much-loved places; Lou C Fused Glass creates brightly-coloured wall art and gifts for the home; and beach clean artist Laura makes her collage pieces entirely from discovered items she has found on beaches in Devon and Cornwall.
“The five of us all work very differently, using different media, but most of our work has a South West focus,” said Brian.
“And of course, it’s all colourful and positive, it makes Plymouth look at its best.”
The Collective will be taking over the window space and front of the Kaya Gallery for the exhibition, with the gallery’s other artists being invited to show their work in the space at the back of the gallery:
“Our work generates quite a big following, and visitors will also see the work of the other artists at the same time,” said Brian.
“As a group of artists, we want people to enjoy art, to see art that they can imagine having on their walls at home – that to me is the point of art. We want people to be tempted to come into galleries when they see the art in the windows. It’s not just about exhibiting work or selling work; it’s also very much about encouraging people, young people especially, to become interested in art. One of our aims is to inspire children to try art, and if the art is bright and colourful, it’s more likely to get them into it.”
The artists will each have around 15 new pieces for sale in the exhibition – you’ll recognise the places in many of them. Brian said:
“We are so lucky working as artists here, because there are always new places to see in the South West that inspire us. I’ve just started doing the Scott Memorial in Plymouth, for example – I’ve not done that before.”
For the exhibition, Henry has created a stunning series of paintings with a focus on Plymouth’s waterfront, while Arth’s tiny paintings have all his favourite features – smiley people, cats, and seagulls, almost always in a seaside setting. Lou C’s fused glass pieces are inspired by the seaside, well-known landmarks, and the wildflowers in the woods behind her home. Laura’s latest work displays an even wider spectrum of colours than before, also with a focus on popular places in the South West.
The Collective hopes to add new members, as more colour-focused artists emerge in the city:
“There are a lot of young artists emerging in Plymouth at the moment, and that’s great to see,” said Brian.
“Mrs Murals and the street artists are doing a great job in not only creating art across the city, but also in stimulating people’s interest in being creative. Plymouth really is bustling.
“So, yes, I hope we can expand the group with more local artists, that has always been our intention, but we are limited for large exhibition space in Plymouth. That’s something we really need to look at in the city.”
You can view the Plymouth Colour Collective exhibition during the Kaya Gallery’s usual opening times, 10.30am to 4.30pm, seven days a week. www.kayagallery.co.uk
