SOME of the world’s most famous bridges are being cast in a new light as part of an upcoming exhibition at Swansea‘s Glynn Vivian Art Gallery.
Swansea-based artist Tim Davies has erased all traces of the background in images of bridges across the planet to reveal the appearance of only the structures themselves.
The work forms part of his Between a Rock and a Hard Place exhibition that starts at the Alexandra Road gallery on Saturday October 10.
San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol are among those to feature in the exhibition.
Also included are the old and new Severn Bridges and Bosnia’s Mostar Bridge- a structure that was bombed during the intense warfare that swept across the region in the 1990s.
It’s hoped the work will help reveal the real and symbolic meanings of the bridges and their links in many cases between two pieces of land, two rocks and two cultures.
Ongoing earlier works by Tim such as Figures in the Landscape and Monument are also included in the exhibition.
Monuments, mansion houses and cathedrals are among the other examples of architecture cited in his work.
Tim Davies is a lecturer at Swansea Metropolitan University who has exhibited widely in the UK and internationally.
He was the winner of the Mostyn Open Prize in 1997, the National Eisteddfod Fine Art Gold Medal in 2003 and the Richard and Rosemary Wakelin Purchase Award in 2005.
Tim was also shortlisted for the prestigious Artes Mundi prize in 2004. He’ll be giving a guided tour and talk of his exhibition on Friday October 9 at 6.30pm to visitors in advance of its opening.
Emerging artist Eva Bartussek also opens her new exhibition at the gallery on the same day.
Horse House is a surreal exploration of a mansion in Wales lived in by both its owners and their horses.
This is Eva’s first solo exhibition in Wales and will be supported by Swansea Metropolitan University.
Both exhibitions form part of the Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts.
Cllr Graham Thomas, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Recreation and Tourism, said: “The Glynn Vivian Art Gallery is renowned for the quality of its exhibitions and is very pleased to present this new work by a Swansea-based artist.
“Bridges are among the most beautiful and iconic structures in the world but people don’t often get the chance to see them without the influence of their backgrounds and locations.
“This will be a fascinating insight into what they can symbolise in our world today but it’s just one facet of a remarkable exhibition that will be as enjoyable as it is informative.
“The Between a Rock and a Hard Place exhibition combined with Horse House should prove an interesting draw to the people of Swansea“
Have a look at www.swansea.gov.uk/glynnvivian for more information or call
