Upcoming events.
Lucy Wright: ’Oss Girls
Hobby horses and horse girls; folklore, fetish + consent, this exhibition by artist and folklorist Lucy Wright takes as its starting point the folk archetype of the hobby horse, in particular the well-known ’Obby ’Oss tradition which takes place each May in Padstow, North Cornwall. Her new show examines how folk practices of all kinds might help us to navigate changing attitudes towards gender and intimacy.
Lucy is an Artist and Research Fellow in Folklore at the University of Hertfordshire whose work spans painting, textiles, participation and performance.
The show also features a bespoke musical track ‘Unite!’ based on the traditional Padstow May Day Song (Roud 305) created by LUNERTRACKTORS, award winning purveyors of Broken Folk.
Mimei Thompson: The Drowned Forest
Mimei makes paintings using images chosen for their symbolic and archetypal qualities. The worlds she creates have a sense of fluidity and vitality; a suggestion that matter is temporarily taking on and changing form. The Drowned Forest is a gathering of spirits; a search for threads, origins and beginnings. Mimei is based in London and has been selected for Jerwood Contemporary Painters, the Contemporary British Painting Prize, and the John Moores Painting Prize in 2023.
Man In The Woods: Artefacts from My Friday Walk
The artist known as Man In the Woods, based in South West England, uses walking and the recording of folkloric motifs he encounters to make objects that tell a story about contemporary rural Britain. Artefacts from My Friday Walk is Man In The Wood's first gallery show, bringing together a body of work which reflects the experiences and encounters made on his weekly Friday Walks.
South Dartmoor Community College Student Show
A showcase of our local secondary school’s students' work created, curated and hosted by the students, supported by ourselves and professional artists throughout the process.
Rob Ryan: In The Merry Month of May
Rob Ryan is a British visual artist who specialises in paper-cutting and screen-printing, his work tells heartfelt stories; some amusing, some poignant, some melancholic. He is also the elected Master at The Artworkers’ Guild for 2024, where he has instigated The Salon of Doubt. For our summer show, Rob is presenting ALL the work he will make in his London studio in the space of one month, reflecting on process, procrastination, surety and doubt.
‘Oss Girls May Day Festival
To celebrate the opening of Lucy Wright’s solo show ‘Oss Girls at our gallery, we are presenting a number of May Day themed events running from 1-5 May. As well as Lucy's exhibition, we are partnering with neighbours Ashburton Arts Centre to bring you conversation, morris, music, and the occasional ‘beest’ to celebrate May 1st and the promise of summer!
Wednesday 1st May
6pm-8pm: Private View of Lucy Wright’s ‘Oss Girls with music by members of Ashburton Folk Orchestra at the Field System gallery .
The show continues Mondays-Saturdays until the 18th May 2024.
Saturday 4th May
11am-5.30pm. Drop in to the Field System gallery to view the ‘Oss Girls exhibition.
2-4pm: ‘Oss Girls and Morris Men - Folk Reimagined and Retold: Talk by Lucy Wright ‘Folk is a Feminist Issue’, and screening of Tim Plester’s film ‘Way Of The Morris’ at Ashburton Arts Centre
Various times and locations: A small group from Grimspound Border Morris will be performing at 4.15pm AND we will visited by the Rewilderbeest! This will be the first public sighting of the latest folklore beastie created by The Lost Giants, summoners of Dartmoor’s ancient defender, ‘Old Crocken’.
Sunday 5th May
Hedge Morris Workshop with Lucy Wright at Field System and Ashburton Arts Centre
Tickets for ‘Oss Girls and Morris Men, and the Hedge Morris Workshop can be booked via Ashburton Arts Centre or at https://www.wegottickets.com/ashburtonarts/page/1#paginate
Gnash Comics and Field System Host a ‘Behind theScenes’ Exhibition for Devon Based Comic Artists
Gnash Comics, in collaboration with Field System, is excited to present a new and exclusive comic art exhibition on April 26th and 27th, 2024. The event, in our Ashburton gallery, features original work from Devon based international comic artists Jock, Lee Garbett, and Dom Reardon.
Offering a unique and rarely seen look into their creative processes, this show is centred around the original three-part comic series ‘Gone’ which was created, written and illustrated by Jock, with cover art by Lee and Dom.
And, to celebrate the event, publisher DSTLRY are supplying Gnash Comics with an exclusive cover for the third and final instalment of Gone. For more details on this or Gnash Comics, please visit www.gnashcomics.co.uk.
Sarah Hoskins: Enormous
Influenced by the sensibilities of mid-century modernism, particularly cubism and biomorphism, Sarah creates joyously coloured semi-abstracted paintings that draw on mask traditions, the decorative arts, textile design, and historical costumes. For her show at Field System Sarah is, ‘working towards communicating as clearly and concisely as possible, something of the miraculous, the beautiful, the strange and the ridiculous, amongst other things.’
Please join us for the private view on Thursday 28th March 6pm-8pm. The show continues from Friday 29th March - Saturday 20th April, 11am-5.30pm Monday to Saturday and other times by appointment. Please note we are closed on Monday 1st April for the bank holiday.