Shropshire Star

Artist sweeps up his collages

A artist currently displaying his art at an Oswestry art gallery is to give a talk about his work later this month.

Published
Alec Shepley

Professor Alec Shepley, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology at Wrexham Glyndwr University as well as a practicing artist, will give the talk at the Qube gallery on July 30.

His current exhibition at Qube, Sometimes Doing Nothing Leads to Something, focuses on pieces produced over the past half decade where he has been walking and ‘sweeping’ in various locations around Britain.

He explained: “The exhibition is made up of drawings, small sculptural works, photographic documentation and video pieces that are reactions to – and records of – some of the walks and ‘sweeps’ I’ve conducted over the past five years. The sweeps are literally that – I will go to a place with a brush and sweep the location.

“I see my work as a means of encounter – using walking and cleaning as methods to engage with the audience. The processes I carry out on site are, to me, ‘the work’ and the objects and images on display at Qube and other galleries are, to me, documents or by-products of this process of journeying and engagement.”

The exhibition is running throughout July, with the talk set for 6.30pm July 31 by Professor Shepley, where he will explore his work and processes.

There is also a workshop taking place on July 30 which is fully booked. Attendees will be able to create their own artworks following Professor Shepley’s instruction.

“By combining walking, drawing, tracing, rubbings and collecting, people will be able to build up and develop their own place-based collage.

“As the workshop is taking place in Oswestry, I thought it only fitting the workshop should centre on the town.”