Simon Gaiger ARBS
My sculptures are made from wood, metal and the materials that I find around me. They are descriptions of the elements, forces and patterns within the landscape, natural and manmade, a synthesis of where these meet, clash or unify. Laid hedges, sea defences, harbours, old boundaries, disused railway lines. Places where the memory of man is recorded in nature influence me, as do mans engineered devices that steer or harness the elemental forces. Where nature bends to mans hand for a moment then turns and moves on. References also come from my childhood in Africa and the South Pacific.
Many pieces have moveable parts or suggest a use, inviting the viewer to respond by re-arranging, touching or changing the form. Obviously tactile elements are either offered up or shielded. Colour is used simply, either to accentuate the play of light or as distinct colours to emphasize particular aspects.
BIOGRAPHY
1965: Born Banbury, UK. Moves to Uganda. From there spends childhood in Sudan, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, the Falkland Islands and Cornwall. Educated in various schools in the UK and abroad.
1983-1984:
Works as a shepherd and shipwrights assistant in the Falkland Islands
1984-1985: West Surrey College of Art & Design
1987-1989: Merrist Wood Agricultural College, trains in landscape construction.
1989-1994: Sets up landscape design business, Designing and constructing commercial and domestic landscapes and
gardens in Dorset and London. Also making sculpture and furniture.
1994: Decides
to concentrate solely on making sculpture and furniture. Exhibits
widely in the UK and Europe. Makes work for private and public commissions.
2003: Move to Carmarthenshire, Wales.
2008: Elected to membership of the Royal British Society of Sculptors
EXHIBITIONS & GALLERIES
Current Galleries: Simon Gaiger's work can be seen at Padstow Fine Art, Padstow, Cornwall, www.padstowfineart.co.uk, the Strand Gallery Aldeburgh, www.strandgallery.co.uk, St. Davids Studio Gallery St Davids, www.stdavidsstudiogallery.co.uk.
Forthcoming Exhibitions:
Nov 2011 Flow Gallery, London
October 2011 PAD London
July 2011 Adam Gallery, Cork Street, London
Exhibitions
Stilnovo, Copenhagen 2010
St Davids Studio Gallery, St Davids 2010
Strand Gallery Aldeburgh 2010
St Dogmaels Gallery, Cardigan 2009
Oriel Myrddin Gallery, Carmarthen 2009
'Art Amsterdam' collaboration with John O'Carroll, 2009
'Simon Gaiger New Works, Padstow Contemporary Art 2008
'Ambient Light', Artspace 3, Amsterdam 2008
Coterie, Haverfordwest 2007-2009
'Craft In The Bay', Cardiff 2005-2007
Crafts at Bovey Tracey, Devon 2006
L'Orient Festival Interceltique, Brittany, France. 2006
Black Swan Gallery, Frome , Somerset. 2006
'Kunst Rai', collaboration with John O'Carroll, Amsterdam 2006
'Kunst Rai', collaboration with John O'Carroll, Amsterdam 2005
'Groen en Hout', collaboration with John O'Carroll, Haarlem, Holland. 2005
'Krieger & Katwijk, collaboration with John O'Carroll Amsterdam. 2004
Cambridge Contemporary Craft, Cambridge
New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham, Surrey
Cider Press Gallery, Dartington, Devon with Guy Martin, Matthew Burt and Andrea Stemmer. 1997