Connection Points is a large scale public facing installation of coloured vinyl on the windows of the Art Station building on a prominent position on Saxmundham High Street. Inspired by the building’s former life as a telephone exchange, a series of curving arcs form colourful wires that weave their way across the window panes – intersecting, overlapping and connecting with the architecture.
Following the initial open days in October and November, the installation can now be viewed by appointment only – please contact [email protected] to arrange a viewing time.
This dynamic new site-specific installation combines shapes to create a whole form allowing arcs of colours to imagine the energy of the pulsating circuits in a hub of activity. The colour palette is complementary to the heritage interiors of the building with a choice of meditative and calming colours for its current occupants. The design builds on Grady’s earlier artwork Sunrise which was created in 2020 for The Waiting Place exhibition in the Art Station’s foyer.
The transparent vinyl acts like stained glass diffusing light and casting glowing shadows into The Art Station which will shift with the light of day. At night time when the building is lit from within it turns the gallery into a light box for all passers-by to observe and enjoy. The installation can be seen from the exterior and interior, making it accessible to those in the local community and drawing people into the building to engage further with the project. The Connection Points installation has a magical and transformative quality – defining the building and the character of Saxmundham creating a sense of public pride and personal connection with the project.
Fiona Grady is a site-responsive artist. Her colourful geometric artworks are architectural interventions that transform the physical spaces they are situated within. They are allow their setting to become a canvas that defines the size of the artwork and provides inspiration for the motifs used within the designs, to connect them to their location.
Born into a family of mathematicians she has always had a keen eye for balance using ratios of numbers and logical approaches to divide the space. She considers her process as problem solving. She refers to her artworks as giant jigsaw puzzles, as they employs repetition of forms to build a larger image, using each piece to create a whole picture, that has an unconscious equilibrium within its surroundings. Her practice recognizes the relationship between architecture, installation art and decoration. She plays with light, surface and scale; each piece changes with the light of day emphasizing the passing of time and the ephemeral nature of the work to create ambient environments.
Fiona exhibits widely including recent solo exhibitions at the University of Brighton; Chapter Cardiff and LUX, Arles in France as well as group exhibitions including Close to Home, JGM Gallery, London; Drawing Biennial, Drawing Room, London; and Cure3 Exhibition organised by Art Wise Curators, Bonhams, London; and A5xn, Dallas in USA. She has created public commissions for Walthamstow Wetlands Visitor, Rosie Glenn + British Land, Broadgate, and Kensington and Chelsea Council and Jubilee Place, Canary Wharf. She was selected by the Mark Rothko Memorial Trust to receive a bursary and residency at the Mark Rothko Foundation in Daugavpils, Latvia in 2019. Her works are held in public collections including Paul Smith Ltd, Tim Sayer Collection (bequeathed to Hepworth Wakefield); and various private collections across Europe, North America and New Zealand.
Emma Hill has written a piece responding to the Connection Points installation.
As we walk through The Art Station, a constantly changing flux of hued shadows plays over the walls and across the surfaces of tables, floors and desks. Their shimmering forms alert one in turn to the material and fabric of the building itself, leading to the discovery of incidental detail such as the patina of concrete, or the soft, buttery tones of ageing brick.
Follow the link below to read the full piece.
Emma Hill founded the Eagle Gallery, London and its associated imprint EMH Arts, in 1991. She has mounted over 300 exhibitions at the gallery space and has collaborated with institutions including Aldeburgh Music, Almeida Opera and the British Library on off-site exhibition projects. She has published artists’ books and prints by leading UK artists including Basil Beattie and Bruce McLean and has written numerous catalogue texts and articles for publications including Art Review, Printmaking Today and RA Magazine.
Read HereThis installation is made possible thanks to public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England.