Since I first came across Andrew Lanyon’s book A Fairy Find many years ago I have been fascinated by his work. He challenges me to see the world in a different way, a weird and wonderful, and often slightly perplexing, way.
His latest exhibition which opened last weekend at Falmouth Art Gallery is called Nature’s Laboratory. It is a collaboration with some 37 other artists. This fantastical collection of diverse pieces asks you to take a moment and consider the work of Nature and her influence, her power and her control.
Nature’s Laboratory
Immerse yourself in the tale of Nature who is hard at work in her laboratory creating the emotions. Distracted by her work she is unaware of what her robot assistants are getting up to! : Falmouth Art Gallery
It is a playful, sometimes a little dark but always engaging look at our world and creation – there are handles to turn and objects to peer at through tiny windows. Sculptures come to life and take on new forms. There are beating hearts by Kevin Newstead (above) and bottles of bottled up emotions dot the space.
“Nature invented the dust from which everything would spring and to which everything would return” and as for creation, Andrew says “All we can say about what follows is we are pretty certain none of it happened. And ‘certainty’ is a wonderful thing. Creating unlikely scenarios, however, can throw up ideas which help loosen the concrete in which are set the rocks of belief.”
The collection of work is everything I have come to expect from an Andrew Lanyon exhibition. A little odd at times and certainly thought provoking but above all fun!
Adam and Eve
I went along to the opening night and as I mingle with the hub-bub sipping my glass of wine I delight to overhear Andrew explaining one of his paintings. It is called Adam Carves a heart for Eve, Newton turns a page. Andrew explains that it depicts arguably the two most important pieces of fruit in human history.
It shows the apple in the garden of Eden and the apple in Newton’s orchard that of course we all know fell on his head. In the painting Andrew points out Adam. He is tucked almost hidden behind the tree and is carving a heart for Eve in the bark. The shaking Adam makes with his knife causes that infamous apple and the virtue of all mankind take a fall. Andrew chuckles “We men have to take the blame for some of it” he says.
Funded by the Arts Council England the exhibition runs from 27 Jan 2018 – 10 March 2018 and admission is FREE.
Further reading
If you liked this you might also enjoy:
I provide all the content on this blog completely FREE, there's no subscription fee. If however you enjoy my work and would like to contribute something towards helping me keep researching Cornwall's amazing history and then sharing it with you then you can DONATE BELOW. Thank you!
2 thoughts on “Falmouth Art Gallery: Andrew Lanyon and Nature’s Laboratory”