Frances FitzGibbon and Helen Stark

Look, See

Homestead Gallery 1, 25 September - 19 October

Look, See is a series of observations through sculpture and imagery mainly in ceramics and glass, that takes the viewer to a place of deeper observation than the merely superficial act of looking.

So often we look at things but do we really see them? The old adage of ‘you look at me but do not see me’ rings true, especially in this age of sensory overload and busy lives. The familiar becomes unseen, unnoticed.

In Look, See Frances FitzGibbon and Helen Stark explore the premise that too often we look but fail to stop and closely observe or see the detail around us. This can range from the intimate view out our windows to the vastness of the universe and even the interpersonal and imagined.

The aim of this exhibition is to invite the viewer to see beyond the superficial and engage more deeply with what is before them. Perhaps the piece evokes humour, memory, a deeper understanding of the world, or is it simply a thing of beauty without particular meaning – it just brings joy and pleasure.

Glass and ceramics are so ubiquitous that we barely give them a glance. Through the use of inclusions, manipulation and surface design FitzGibbon and Stark elevate them from their everyday functionality.

The works may look familiar at first glance but may reveal more upon deeper scrutiny a reassessment of what is in plain sight.

Images curtesy of Frances FitzGibbon and Helen Stark