Michael Brennand Wood ‘Between Thought and Expression’ at The Harley Gallery

Internationally renowned textile artist Michael Brennand-Wood will be offering both new pieces and a new perspective on his work when he opens his exhibition, ‘Between Thought and Expression’ at The Harley Gallery on the Welbeck estate in Nottinghamshire on 2 September.   Taken from a line in a song by the Velvet Underground, ‘Between Thought and Expression’ is an exhibition of two halves exploring the radical impact on Brennand-Wood’s work caused by residencies in contrasting rural landscapes.   The isolation of the Australian outback gave inspiration to the primal pieces in the first part of the exhibition as Brennand-Wood worked alone for months in a remote location outside Canberra, without phone or internet, during a residency in 2013/14. Seen for the first time in the UK, these pieces are a synthesis of painted, stained, stitched and photographic sources and are accompanied by commentaries from writers, critics and artists – all offering new perspectives on his work.   The second half of the exhibition was inspired by a very different rural setting - born out of Brennand-Wood’s residency at the Harley Gallery in the bucolic English countryside of the Welbeck estate a decade ago. Many of these works have not been exhibited for years and, contrasted with the Australian pieces, they show his continuing interest in new ideas and challenges.   “I’ve always thought of myself as something of an explorer and this exhibition demonstrates that trait. The Australian inspired pieces reflect the vast, hot harshness of the landscape while the English pieces are inspired by the lush, mild green beauty of the Welbeck estate but both have been integral to the development of my work over the past decade”   One of the UK’s undisputed leaders in textile art Michael Brennan-Wood began his career as a fine artist before switching to textiles, taking inspiration from his grandmother who had worked as a weaver. His work bridges the gap between art and craft practices and has earned international acclaim. He regularly shows at international art fairs and has works in collections including the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, Victoria & Albert Museum, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra (Aus) and Akzo-Nobel Art Foundation, Holland.   For more information visit: www.harleygallery.co.uk.