 Muddy Magnificence:
The River Usk in Newport 8 December 2007 to 6 January 2008, Riverfront The River Usk runs through the very heart of Newport and its impact on the history, geography and economy of the city has been truly significant. The title muddy magnificence is taken from one of Goff Morgan's descriptions. It reflects one of the most outstanding features of the usk: its huge tidal rise and fall. It is this massive tidal range that leaves much of the muddy river bed exposed, revealing, each day, what poet Gillian Clarke describes as "mud sculpted to fresh form" [1]. This show celebrated our river, drawing inspiration from the many facets of the River Usk in Newport. the artists - Allison Hodgkiss
- Anna Angel
- Bev Gough
- Carole Gaylard
- Dany Mitchell
- Deborah Wheeler
- Fiona Jefferies
- Mark Williams
- Martin Crampin
- Nigel Hunt
- enyaj solhcin
- Stephen Ravenhill
Allison Hodgkiss Typography is all around us wherever we go. A very short stroll along the River Usk in Newport provided with me a wealth of typographic images from hand written graffiti, information signs and markings on lamposts and tarmac. I have brought together a number of these examples in the form of a montage to show the variety, and the surprising beauty that can be found in this usually unappreciated art form. Anna Angel  River I (acrylic) - Anna Angel The paintings are in keeping with the natural colours of nature, however exaggerating slightly the greens and blues to accentuate the beautiful contrast of the Black Mountains against the River Usk. Bev Gough Newport’s Transporter Bridge has a strong bond with the Usk, and my childhood memories of walking over the very top, with the muddy Usk far down below, are still clear and bright in my mind. I love its colours and construction, engineering and its leisurely pace to get to the other side. It’s very much a people operated bridge, which is a rare treat nowadays in a world overrun by electronically produced messages and movements. Carole Gaylard  Tides (acrylic) - Carole Gaylard This body of work moves with the river Usk from the country into the city of Newport and from winter into summer, observing some of the transformations along these paths. I have been fascinated and inspired by the mood of the river. It's light, colour and form are constantly changing. At the moment I am mainly working in acrylic. My paintings focus on things, shapes and colours that God has given us to see, yet we usually pass by. Dany Mitchell Seeking inspirationat the riverbank, I looked at the boats, various grasses, mud and an array of colours and textures. I became absorbed by the simple, but perfect, design of a large and unusual elderflower bush - all at the smallest of scale. Deborah Wheeler  Driftwood (mixed fabrics-hand/machine embroidered) - Deborah Wheeler I have looked at a variety of aspects along the River Usk. The textures of a piece of driftwood, which echo the textures of the mud. Also, in contrast, the architectural features of the bridges, which stretch over the river at various places in Newport. Fiona Jefferies  Footbridge (ceramic tile) - Fiona Jefferies Much beauty can be found in the tiny of a mundane structure. The details of the Newport bridges, and the gorgeous mud they span, produced the inspiration for this work. There is much vibrance in the Newport bridges. They catch the reflecting colours of the Usk as it flows, and provide stability against the ever changing mud. I love mud. Viewing these pieces in different light gives the onlooker a sense of the beauty and murky glory of the Usk. Mark Williams This work was painted in celebration of the hundredth anniversary of the Newport Transporter Bridge. Martin Crampin  Bridges and Mud (digital print) - Martin Crampin The River Usk divides and unites the centre of Newport, the rising and falling tide spanned six times by bridges constructed during the last 120 years. The changing landscape of demolition and construction goes on while the receding tide leaves behind fresh contours and deposits in the mud. Nigel Hunt  Spirit on the Water (mixed media) - Nigel Hunt The paintings are created through a process that involves the application and removal of paint, to create layers that reveal various qualities in the paint. These layers could be seen as a metaphor for the mud forms created with the rise and fall of the tide. Violet - an unnatural colour, it has a warmth yet holds a sense of menace. enyaj solhcin  Untitled (digital print) - enyaj slohcin The thought is there is some kind of intrinsic significance in the 'discarded', the 'used', that hints at the spontaneous histories within the material. The feeling is that there is some place where a membrane exists. And here the ambivalent presence/absence that dallies through the constantly changing fabric of something/nothing will inevitably bring about a series of disparate elements that are able to momentarily unite. The hope is to tell of the tangible relationships that exist when these discarded frailties are salvaged and reconfigured remembering; God can bring beauty to the ugly. Stephen Ravenhill  Seagulls on a car tyre (watercolour) - Stephen Ravenhill Walking along the riverbank, I saw seagulls sat on car tyres at the edge of the water. Some of the tyres were half submerged in the water and some were stuck in the mud. I thought this would make an interesting painting, with the contrasting mud and water, and incorporating some of the river's wildlife. I thought it was amusing to see the seagulls, on the tyres, just relaxing in the sun.
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Muddy Magnificence
