Bone & Shadow: A Mythology of Place
Bonhoga Gallery 23 April – 5 June
Public Opening Friday 22 April 6 – 7.30pm
Including a world premiere of new dance work by Jack Webb
A new exhibition showcasing a unique collaboration between Unst based sculptor Tony Humbleyard and Edinburgh based choreographer and dancer Jack Webb opens this Friday at Bonhoga Gallery.Tony Humbleyard is a sculptor and installation artist. He studied art Halifax College and completed a Fine Art degree at University of the Highlands and Islands. A full-time artist, Tony runs a studio at the Shore Station in Unst, where he has lived since 2005, hosting visitors/artists/writers from around the world during the summer months, to explore place and the ways in which we interpret the world around us. His prints and sculptures are inspired by animal bones and found objects, using them to explore how we interpret the world around us. Abandoning guidebooks, maps and signs in favour of random journeys and direct experiences, he has been collecting materials from around the island, which he has incorporated into the work.
For this exhibition Tony has been working closely with Jack Webb, as part of a development opportunity supported by Shetland Arts. Jack is one of Scotland’s leading choreographers and dancers and has worked with major dance companies throughout the world. He is associate artist at Tramway, Glasgow during 2016 and has recently returned from Iceland taking part in the NordDance International Exchange. In the run up to the exhibition Jack has been spending time in Unst creating a companion piece to the exhibition inspired by Tony’s work.
Exhibition Manager Jane Matthews says ‘This exhibition is an incredible blending of two artists who, while working in very different media, have a similar approach to collecting objects and information to build something new. This is the first time that Tony and Jack have worked together, and it is really inspiring to see how Jack has been able to marry his body and practice to Tony’s three dimensional work to create something new and very exciting’
The exhibition opens to the public at 6pm on Friday 22nd April, and will feature a world premier of the dance piece created by Webb. Using the artworks, space, and audience to create an immersive and involving piece, the combination of sculpture and dance promises to be something both exciting and new. The piece will also be filmed, and will be incorporated into the exhibition following the performance.
