Cathy Ward & Eric Wright
Gathering in the May
Cathy Ward & Eric Wright
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Cathy Ward and Eric Wright are a collaborative duo who, over five years, created installations of staged metaphorical woods through which they explored threads of European folk culture and tradition, from original forms through to their mutated, kitsch, contemporary manifestations.
Gathering in the May was a site specific installation based on a reinvention of the Maypole, integrating elements from European May Day celebrations and associated traditional rites.
The sculptures, composed from collected paraphernalia and featuring over two miles of ribbon, embraced mock Tudor styles and invoked traditional festival mayhem. However, the apparent frivolity concealed a darker undertone.
The opening night on May Day featured a guest appearance from performance artist Andrew Bailey. His personification of the ‘Green Man’ introduced an element of the unexpected, and he also created a specially commissioned audio work that played throughout the exhibition.
Ward and Wright’s exhibitions included Transromantik, RBS Gallery, London (2002); Volkgeist, Mercer Union, Toronto (2002); and Transromantik – the ‘Berchtesgaden Effect’, The Chamber of Pop Culture, Horse Hospital, London (2000).
Visit: www.transromantik.com