Ann Symes - the space within exhibition

Ann's work evolves through exploring different materials and techniques and her intuitive experimentation with them.  The process leads to new discoveries and this is what excites her.  Once it resonates she will run with it allowing her thoughts, senses, environment and often words to influence the work.

Ann is currently interested in Japanese woodblock combined with other printmaking techniques. She enjoys the gentle effects produced by the use of watercolour and gouache paints in making Japanese woodblock prints (moku hanga).  Although traditional tools are used her approach is experimental.  Ann pushes the limits of tolerance in fine Japanese papers and the liquidity of the paint to see what will happen.  Sometimes when overprinting many times on heavier papers the reverse will interest her more where the paint has been forced through the fibres creating random patterning.

As Ann worked on the Tea bowl collection series she very soon realised that the work was about stillness and presence in space giving the images a quiet strength. The ancient symbol of the vessel was used to express these qualities, at the same time representing containment, emptiness, fullness, offering and sharing.

The sensitvity of Ann's handmade paper vessels expresses a fragile vulnerability accentuated when torn edges are held together by thread as if repairing a wound.

www.annsymes-artist.co.uk