Reciprocity
Spring cheltenham, Montpellier, Cheltenham, June 2024
Press release:
This collaborative exhibition with Mandy Coppes-Martin delves into the profound relationship between humanity and the natural world. Through their thought-provoking works, the artists navigate the delicate boundary between micro and macro, past and future, to offer a profound visual narrative on the interplay between mankind and nature. Click to see the film.
Coppes-Martin's work, crafted from silks and heritage textiles, embody organic forms that blur the lines between the manmade and the natural. By drawing inspiration from nature's wonders, such as butterflies in the Pacific that drink turtles' tears to absorb saline and diatoms housed in glass that provide every second breath we take, she invites viewers to explore the intricate and symbiotic relationships that exist in the world around us.
Simson's work showcases her intuitive approach to capturing the collective consciousness of themes and relationships. Using mostly porcelain to work instinctively, leaving fingerprint marks and weaving threads of emotion and inspiration, the artist draws on indigenous wisdom and the often-unnoticed reciprocal relationships between flora, fauna and man. Darwin’s Blind Spot is a term coined to explain the overlooked importance of living interactions or symbioses between different species. It is this sense of collaboration, along with man’s active involvement, the artist seeks to capture and elicit a response.
Reciprocity challenges the viewer to embrace the abstract nature of time and the complex interplay between past, present, and future. The exhibition invites individuals to confront their role in a world where human existence is intrinsically interwoven with the natural environment. It is a wake-up call, urging society to recognize our place within a wider ecosystem and to foster a sense of interconnectedness and stewardship.
As the artists beautifully encapsulate, the wider world is both intimate and borderless, always entertaining the dance between the internal and external. However, it often eludes our physical sight, much like the intangible concept of time. Reciprocity provides a glimpse into this elusive realm, reminding us that everything on this Earth has a purpose, that we are part of a larger system that has thrived for millions of years.
Photos and filming by Artur Tixiliski