Wintec curator brings artists together to explore the magic of making art
Work by Jen Bowmast part of the Sleight of Hand exhibition at Wintec’s Ramp Gallery.
It’s clear that curator, creative and mum-of-two Wendy Richdale has become an expert at bringing people together to produce new, creative and engaging experiences.
Having worked at Wintec’s Ramp Gallery in central Hamilton since 2011 and taking up the role as curator in 2016, Wendy boasts eight years of experience in the gallery scene. Drawing on her long-time belief in the power that the arts have to provoke new ways of thinking, she presents her latest exhibition Sleight of Hand.
Sleight of Hand explores magical moments that occur during the act of making art and looks at how artists play out their own ideas through intuition. We talked with Wendy about the exhibition, and asked what visitors will gain from a visit and the magical act of making.
Can you tell us about the exhibition Sleight of Hand, how did the show come about?
Sleight of Hand as a term refers to a skill of magic where the magician uses misdirection and well-practiced movements to create an illusion. Using this title for an art exhibition hints at these ideas being present in the making of artworks and in the way an audience reacts to the works. This show has five artists who all make art in a way that is playful and explores the potential of materials. Setting these artists next to each other in an exhibition which also alludes to the magician’s ‘sleight of hand’ points the viewer to the idea there is magic in the way an artist makes an artwork – where the artist’s magic occurs in the production of something new, (hopefully) something more potent and affecting than the sum of its parts.
With five artists in the exhibition, how did you go about selecting the works?
The artists are Jen Bowmast, Leafa Wilson, Natasha Matila-Smith, Lynda Wilson and Barbara Smith. These artists all fascinate me with their ability to sense a good idea and their sensitivity to the materials they work with – they have that gift of knowing when to stop as the artwork is ready to present. And each of them seem to imbue an aura or sense of importance to their work that I love. There are three local artists in this show (so I’ve known them for a while) and two artists that hail from further afield (Motueka and Auckland). I had my eye on these artists for some time and follow them on Instagram and through their work popping up in various exhibitions. I knew I wanted to work with each of them as I really admire their work, but was just looking for the right opportunity – then the stars aligned and I ended up making a show for them all!
What can visitors expect from viewing the exhibition Sleight of Hand?
This exhibition is full of objects and you’ll get to see lots up-close. The objects range from appearing very carefully finished, to looking immediate and raw. I imagine viewers will first be taken in by the textures, shapes and similarities between the objects they see and they will then start noticing the smaller differences and pointers of the artist-at-work. There are also garments (which are the remnants of past performances) and some text works on fabric which will give a sense of larger ideas at play. I hope that visitors will sense these connections - and we have a gallery publication that can give extra information if they want pointers to what the artists and me (as curator) were thinking at the time the show was conceived – but really I hope it’s a sense of the magical moment of making that visitors take away with them.
Ramp Gallery is a Wintec space, located on the Wintec city campus, how does the role of arts education fit into this show?
We love being part of a learning institution as students get a chance to see behind the curtain so-to-speak. For this show, some students have already commented how the attention to detail in the display of the objects really elevates them to another level - raw yet potent. I hope the students will get a sense of fun and inspiration too – what better place to feel validated as an art student than a gallery exhibition that confirms how magical the process of what you’re doing is!
The Waikato has a growing art scene, how does Ramp Gallery fit into that?
Ramp Gallery has been around for 20 years already so is an integral part of the art community in our city. We love opening the doors to visitors who are not students but still have a passion for art and believe in the power that it has to provoke new ways of thinking. It’s an exciting time in Hamilton for the arts with new spaces of really high calibre popping up that are also showing interesting and important work that expands our creative consciousness. We love being part of a vibrant community!
View Sleight of Hand until 22 June 2018 and read more about Wendy and her role as curator at Wintec’s Ramp Gallery here.
Ramp Gallery at 111 Collingwood Street, Hamilton is free to attend and open to all visitors from Tuesday to Friday 12.30 – 4pm, or by appointment. Group or school bookings can be made by contacting info@rampgallery.co.nz.
