Simon Marsh & Marcus Vergette

Colour, Light, Sound, Silence

20 March – 25 April 2026

Standpoint presented Colour, Light, Sound, Silence, an exhibition by Marcus Vergette and Simon Marsh.

Marcus Vergette and Simon Marsh met in 1980 on the Fine Art Painting course at Central School of Art & Design in London and have been friends ever since. In the intervening years both artists have continued their practice; Vergette’s focus developed to explore sculpture and sound, Marsh became a printmaker and has recently been exploring stained glass and experimental forms. Texture and the trace of the hand(made) is important to them both. This exhibition was their second show together, the first held last year at Cross Lane Projects, Kendal.

Their work can be considered in the context of their long association. As artists they explore the elemental and emotional qualities of light and sound, forms of energy that move as waves of different speeds, through which we experience the world. In both their work light and sound can be reflected and refracted, observed and invented.

Vergette creates unique and inventive bell forms, exploring the history and cultural associations of bells. Some of the bells in this show are tuned and their ringing is encouraged, others are mute suggestions. Bells are communication devices, and through time they have reflected changing perceptions and priorities within societies. Continuing in that tradition, Vergette presented his own stories relevant to these times. Ringing a bell is associated with authority, temporal and spiritual, and bells are often housed in hidden locations, known and heard but unseen. Here, the bell is evidently celebrated and made to be seen.

The sound of a bell is constant and un-shifting, it is the same as it was when it was first cast. But the meaning of a sounding bell depends on the motivation and character of the one who rings it, the same bell may strike for a wedding or a funeral. Hearing the sound is hearing messages about how and why and bell was made. Historically foundries cast bells in peacetime and cannons in wartime, the casting technique is the same for both. Vergette’s bells are calling for our attention on changing climate and precious environments.

Marsh paints and assembles work which is a response to the area in Cornwall where he lives.  A tightly focused reaction to the rural environment suffused with vivid light. This area of West Cornwall has a notable artistic heritage, which is playfully embraced and acknowledged in the work. The pictures and constructions are based on drawings made in situ, then worked on over time in the studio. The layering and accretion of the surface is important, intentionally suggesting weathering and crystallisation.

Glass and mirrors are used to reflect light and cast colour and shadows around their presence, the constructions are fragile and ephemeral. The stained glass here is concerned with the elemental rather than the spiritual, the use of mirrors open-up visual extensions of the existing space. The space in this work is a distillation of the landscape through observation and familiarity.

Both artists are based in rural locations in the South West.

Simon Marsh established Hope (Sufferance) Press, a fine art printing studio in 1986. He took a sabbatical from 1991-1992 to make a continuous walk around the coast of England and Wales. It took 18 months and he made paintings each day, carrying all the materials he needed and camping out at night. On his return he produced Printed Steps, a book of etchings and paintings. In 2004, he started working at Paupers Press which has been an ongoing collaboration with its founder, Michael Taylor. He moved to Cornwall in 2013, and set up his own publishing press, Jollytown Editions, in West Penwith where he lives and works.

Marcus Vergette’s creative practice is rooted in the duality of being both a sculptor and musician. One of his core principles is democratising art, and he has worked extensively in creating public bell sculptures. Remodelling this ancient device of communication, the artist explores its history, meanings and physical properties, creating a process that embraces both art and engineering.

Since meeting Simon at the Central School of Art and Design in 1980, Vergette has made sculpture and music in Armenia, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, USA and around the UK. An important concern has been the Time and Tide bell series which are a robust intrusion into the coastline of the UK, fourteen 600kg bells made of bronze, rung by the tide in the sea, Time and Tide Bells.

Images: Marcus Vergette, sculpture; Simon Marsh, Untitled Construction, 2025. Courtesy of the artists.