The Burton at Bideford art gallery and museum is delighted to be reopening their doors following the latest government updates. Opening on July 4 with new safety and social distancing measures in place, they have two brand new exhibitions on display.
Seeds of Hope is an uplifting showcase in gallery one and two has been devised in response to the recent unprecedented changes affecting all our lives both positive and tragic. They hope it is a fitting tribute to the resilience and kindness of friends, families and total strangers.
Burton associates Paul Lewin, Tazz Pollard, and Paschale Straiton (Red Herring Productions) were tasked with rooting through the Burtons collections to curate their own personal choice of works which represent to them hope, growth and optimism. Alongside this international artist Freya Gabie in collaboration with Jessica Holtaway exhibit Contagious Image which will showcase drawings and engraved tiles. Plus Stans Café – Of All The People In All The world –a rice installation which uses grains of rice to bring formally abstract statistics to startling and powerful life.
Their second exhibition Wood-fired in Japan is a stunning ceramics exhibition from local artists Popalini & Jezando. Their first solo exhibition features a collection of wood-fired pots created on two recent trips to Japan funded by the Arts Council.
Inspired by Japanese pottery, Popalini & Jezando went to Japan in 2018 to study with Setsurou Shibata in Tajimi and Peter Seabridge in Tokoname, with whom they first fired a wood kiln. Then last October they had the chance to go back to Japan to further their knowledge of wood-firing and teaware. Over a space of two months Pop Wilkinson and Jez Anderson, both from Hartland, North Devon, made and wood-fired over 200 pots in the ancient pottery towns of Tamba-Sasayama and Tokoname. This exhibition showcases the journey and pieces created during this trip.
They follow a tradition of exchanges between Japan and North Devon potters with traditional North Devon slipware attracting and high prices from collectors in Japan
Flags and Bunting are also displayed outside of the Burton which have come from submissions to their Flags of Hope project from all over North Devon
