A powerful new exhibition at Black Swan Arts in Frome called ‘In the Absence of Truth’ showcases paintings and works on paper by Ricky Romain and related text assemblages/books by Heather Fallows.
The work of both artists is inspired by human rights issues, focusing on the themes of asylum, sanctuary and immigration. Ricky believes that engaging with contemporary human rights issues makes ‘the truth’ a potent element in a work of art, particularly in this age of alternative facts and post-truth politics.
He hopes that this honesty of purpose gives the work an indisputable integrity. He said, “An artist’s relationship with the truth is complex and intriguingly nuanced. Sometimes it is mystifyingly precarious; often it is more concerned with a poetic truth that depends on mutual understanding and empathy.”
He asserts that works of art can be rallying points, absorbing the thoughts and interpretations of those who give their time to understand and appreciate them. This ‘collective deciphering’ can be silent and secret or vocal and vociferous. Whichever way comment is manifested, he suggests, it is usually part of a collaborative search for honesty of intent and sincerity of expression from both artist and audience.
Ricky has been an artist for nearly 45 years, working with pigments and glazes that he mixes himself, as well as Indian ink, paint and gesso-primed canvases to create a surface that can be scratched into. For the last 17 years, he has become preoccupied with humanitarian causes. His work has been exhibited in galleries nationally and internationally, including the International Secretariat of Amnesty International and the European Council of Human Rights building in Strasburg. He will be hosting a panel discussion on human rights on Thursday 29th June in the Long Gallery at Black Swan Arts at 7pm.
Ricky is also a classically trained sitar player and has performed regularly in the UK and Europe. On Saturday 15th July, he will be performing a recital at Black Swan Arts at 3.30pm.
Heather Fallows is a freelance artist who works with a variety of materials and found objects to create assemblages and text-inspired works. She is interested in the origin of language and the genesis of its meaning and formulation, and often uses poetry to inspire her work.
For many years, Ricky and Heather ran their own art gallery in Axminster, supported by Dartington College, showing exhibitions of their own and other artists’ work. They have worked on a series of educational and community projects throughout the UK, often using human rights issues to inform participants’ artwork.
The exhibition, In the Absence of Truth, runs from 17th June – 16th July.
For further information about the exhibition, please contact Emma Warren at Black Swan Arts on 01373 473980, or visit www.blackswan.org.uk.
