Exhibitions at Pyramid Gallery in York (From York Press)

Exhibitions at Pyramid Gallery in York

1:29pm Friday 6th April 2012 in Exhibitions By Charles Hutchinson

AFTER representing Sally and Neil MacDonell for many years, Terry Brett’s Pyramid Gallery is presenting their work in a solo exhibition for the first time in York.

The two artists work independently in their family home in Bath, where they share a studio and a fascination with the human face that they express in ceramic sculpture.

They usually show their work together, either in gallery exhibitions or at select art or ceramic fairs, and now the focus falls on their latest work at Pyramid in Stonegate.

Assessing her creative driving force, Sally says: “In a world where so much energy is put into noticing the differences between people, I look for the feelings, desires, mannerisms we all share, elevating the ordinary into something special.

“We are all so curious.”

Neil, meanwhile, recalls his early inspiration. “As a six-year-old visiting the Egyptian rooms in the British Museum, I was overwhelmed by the textures, patterns and sinister esoteric nature of the mummified remains,” he says.

“I remain interested in disguise and concealment as expressed in primitive cultures and the way that the damage found in archaeological artefacts speaks of their history.”

A separate exhibition of abstract images in mixed media and paint by York-born artist Heather Naish is running simultaneously.

Brought up in the city, Heather returned to York as an adult to live and work.

Wanting a career change, she studied Fine Art with English Literature at the College of Ripon and York St John, graduating in 2000.

Around this time she exhibited locally while working as painting technician at the college. This was followed by a move into primary-school teaching.

After several years, first teaching, then raising a family, she has begun painting again.

Heather cites nature and the passage of time as the main influences for her themes. “With inspiration drawn from the decayed surfaces of old buildings, patterns of ancient earthworks, fragments of found objects and natural materials, the intention is to evoke an ancient but tranquil and timeless sensory experience,” she says.

“Using a limited palette, my working methods involve layering the surface with various media to create richly but delicately textured areas set against quiet spaces to balance the compositions.”

Working with tile cement, emulsion, paper, wax and oils, Heather’s paintings involve the surface texture being added to as well as being scraped, gouged and scored to create an interplay of textures and colour.

The exhibitions are on show until May 12, open daily from 10am to 5pm and on most Sundays from 11am to 4.30pm.