Abigail Reed

Abigail Reed’s large scale oil paintings portray animals poised in their ultimate state, standing like statues they demand your attention.

The paint has been allowed to flow, nothing is fixed. Dripping and cracking revealing its accidental, volatile nature. She has to work fast to capture the form. This exposes not only the beautiful medium of oil paints and inks but engages us to look further at the subject. Look through under the layers and unveiled is something more than just an exterior. Strong but fragile these animals reveal the vulnerability of life, the primal instinct of survival.

An animal can appear small or fragile but on closer inspection hold immense power and resistence, mightier than all.

She sees them as representatives of “the Other”, something non-human which puts us in our place, stills our anxieties, reminds us that the world does not solely revolve around the human race.

Abigail mainly works in monochrome. This helps the images to stand out, stand stark in a colourful environment. They are neither exact representations nor abstractions, they come inbetween in a world of their own.

‘…. To be made to feel small is, to be sure, a painful daily reality of the human playground. But to be made to feel small by something beautiful, noble, accomplished,……is to have wisdom presented to us along with a measure of delight.’
(Alain de Botton, A Point of View: In praise of the zoo)

 

For all sales enquiries contact Jack on jack@antlersgallery.com

Abigail Reed was part of the Antlers exhibition Gravitas 21 March – 19 April 2014

EDUCATION

2001-2004, The University Of Wales Institute of Cardiff, BA Hons Fine Art

2000-2001, The City Of Bath College, Foundation Diploma in Art and Design

SOLO EXHIBITONS

2010 Knifesmith Gallery, Bristol

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2014 Gravitas, Antlers Gallery, Bristol

2013 Spring Show, Josie Eastwood Fine Art, Winchester

2013 Winter Shop, Antlers Gallery, Bristol

2007 - 2013, Jamaica Street Open Studios, Bristol

2012 Winter Shop, Antlers Gallery, Bristol

2012 Midwinter, The Bomb Shelter, Beer, Devon

2012 Old Beliefs, Antlers Gallery, Stroud

2012 Other Nature, Antlers Gallery, London

2012 Winter Show, Josie Eastwood Fine Art, Winchester

2012 Spring Collection, Josie Eastwood Fine Art, Winchester

2012 Other Nature, Frameless Gallery, London

2012 Group Show, Innocent Fine Art, Clifton, Bristol

2011 Winter Shop, Antlers Gallery, Bristol

2011 No.1 Harbourside with Antlers Gallery, Bristol

2011 The Folk House, Bristol

2011 Inside-Out, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol

2010 Art Box, Park Street, Bristol

2010 The Picture House, Smithson Gallery, Bristol

2010 The Play Of Light And Dark, Sarah Wiseman Gallery, Oxford

2009 Sidcot Arts centre 'Drawn In', Sidcot

2009 Jamaica Street Artist's Auction, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Bristol

2007 Undo, Centrespace Gallery, Bristol

2004 - 2007, Bath Society Of Artists Annual Show, Victoria Art Gallery, Bath

2006 Bristol Art Show 2006, Centre Space Gallery, Bristol

2004 Arts For Youth Wales, City Hall, Cardiff

2003 The Hans Brinker Hotel Exhibition, Amsterdam

2003 Periphery, G39 Gallery, Cardiff

2003 Art Age, Lichfield, Staffs

2002 Group Show, Cardiff University Hall, Cardiff

ART FAIRS

2013 AAF Battersea, Josie Eastwood Fine Art, London

2013 AAF Hampstead, Sarah Wiseman Gallery, London

2012 AAF Hampstead, Sarah Wiseman Gallery, London

2012 AAF Bristol, Antlers Gallery, Bristol

2011 AAF Hampstead, Sarah Wiseman Gallery, London

2011 AAF Bristol, Smithson Gallery

2010 Edinburgh Art Fair, Smithson Gallery

2006 Art Fair, Pall Mall, London

2006 Penmans Dulwich Art Fair, London

PRIZES

2004, Eversheds Purchase Prize

2003, Dulcie Mayne Stephens Travel Bursary

OTHER PROJECTS

2004, Lead Artist at The Big Draw Workshop, Bay Art, Cardiff

2004, Lead Artist at The Jerwood Drawing Prize Workshop, Bay Art, Cardiff