All 4 Design exhibition will feature the work of design artists Ben Gabriel, Leo Scarff, Orla Lawn, and Fiona Wood. Design journalist Eleanor Flegg will officially open the exhibition at 6pm on Friday 18th October 2019 at the Luan Gallery, Elliot road, Athlone, Co. Westmeath until 30th November.
Within the interior of the gallery, the work of furniture designer Ben Gabriel, creative designer Leo Scarff, jewellery designer Fiona Wood and textile artist Orla Lawn.
Ben Gabriel's furniture designs are developed using geometry in an innovative way, this gives his furniture a playful, artistic quality. His designs are inspired by geometry, architecture and art. The simplistic geometric patterns in Ben's work create a pleasant balance of symmetry and proportions where one shape/design is often used repetitively to create the final design. Ben's furniture is created using Irish/European hardwoods mixed with glass, metals and recycled acrylics. The process of creating, the gathering of ideas and concepts and the architectural and geometric qualities of Ben's work are what differentiates his designs from the generic furniture sold in chain retail stores. These qualities transform his furniture into works of art.
Fiona Wood's practice stems from her curiosity of natural life and her interests in biology. She draws from Darwin's sense of the sublime, bio art and botany as she creates jewellery inspired by the growth of weeds and her admiration for their ability to grow under inhospitable conditions. Through her combination of jewellery design which reflects natural growth and her sculptural structures using taxidermy and found objects. Her work interrogates the Dutch traditions of vanitas which reflect on the momentums of carpe diem and memento mori which refer to our acceptance of our inevitable mortality, freeing us to appreciate and celebrate the subtle pleasures in life.
Leo Scarff's sculptural structures playfully interact with the architectural formation of our gallery space. The geometric forms have a dramatic presence that invites us to further explore the aesthetics of his work. Leo Scarff has been a creative designer for twenty-five years, he is a passionate promoter of art, design and architecture whose primary focus is on the functionality and the finish of his work. the creative process of creating paper models and making three dimensional visual prototypes is an important role in his decision-making process as it helps him decide on his use of materials and the objects structural logistics.
Textile artist Orla Lawn exhibits a series of geometric blocks joined by brawny lines of thread that focus on depth of light. These blocks have a sense of playfulness as they sway in unpredictable ways to create elusive forms of shadows. By contrasting hard cast elements with soft textured materials Orla produces a surface that is familiar and welcoming, yet also cold and austere.
All 4 Design continues until Sunday 30th November 2019. Members of the public are welcome to call into see the work by the four designers. For more information call Luan Gallery on (090 ) 644 2154.
