Ryan Barrett
Asprey Studio is delighted to announce its inaugural exhibition, SURFACE 036, a presentation of over 43 sculptures by the acclaimed British artist Ryan Barrett. Drawing on his background in textiles, this astonishing body of work explores the connection between digital and physical production techniques and required Barrett to invent a number of bespoke tools, including an engineered coiling system, enlarged kilns and virtual reality (VR) software. Alongside these innovations, he has also pioneered a range of unique ways of working clay to create sculptures that are both unique in their complexity and beauty.
Mindful of the past, but driven by the future, Barrett was initially inspired by traditional Japanese methods and techniques, as well as by sculptors such as Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore and the studio potter Lucy Rie. A self-taught ceramicist, his passion for experimentation is perhaps best exemplified by the coiling instrument he devised, which allows him to reinterpret the traditional method of creating ceramic structures, using close to 50,000 layers to form the foundation of his sculptures.
Each piece will come with digital artwork linked the the physical sculpture.
Surface 036 is currently on exhibition at the Asprey Studio Gallery during Digital Muses. The collection will be released in November.
When you first see Ryan’s sculptural work you become mesmerized by its billowing sense of movement. Upon closer inspection, which is impossible to resist, one begins to discover the multiple layers of creative input: the nuanced colours, nature’s shapes, the textile patterns, the burnt abstractions, the random imperfections, all coalescing to an unexpected yet harmonious balance of classicism and wabi sabi. It is a pleasure to the eye and food for thought for the soul. The sublime is there to touch.
-John Rigas
