We are really pleased to have work by Chantal Powell on show in ARC until the end of April.
The three works on display reference intimacy and secrecy. The Collector is Chantal’s latest work and was inspired by John Fowles’ novel of the same name in which a reclusive collector of butterflies kidnaps the object of his obsession – a beautiful girl called Miranda. The piece explores the idea of passions transforming into obsessions, of secrets collected and admired in the darkness of our minds.
Image 1: The Collector, 2011, Furniture, mirrored glass, printers plates, paint, light fittings, extension lead.
Image 2:
The Dance, 2009, Digital print, vintage frame, paint.
Things Left Unsaid, 2010, Ring boxes, gold thread.
Chantal Powell creates objects and installations that powerfully and intimately explore the universal emotions that connect us.
Responding to objects and spaces as her starting point, Powell interweaves conceptual threads that exploit the inherent vocabulary of her chosen materials. She presents the viewer with a seductive invitation to explore myths and meanings through; “engaging installations . . . and found objects that explore the boundaries between reality and imagination” (Salon Contemporary). The resulting works have a playful duality between things disclosed and things kept hidden and the viewer is drawn to place their own secrets and stories inside that imaginary realm.
Chantal Powell was born in the West Midlands, UK in 1977 and currently lives and works in Southampton, Hampshire. A PhD focusing on the psychology of human relationships informs her work as an artist. Chantal’s work has been featured on the front cover of a-n magazine. She has exhibited throughout the UK and internationally, most notably at the 53rd Venice Biennale.
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