The Face of the Earth at Nature in Art

Until 13 July – The Face of the Earth exhibition at Nature in Art in Gloucester aims to give visitors a fresh perspective on the UN’s International Year of Planet Earth, and the role in which art plays in the Earth sciences.

The UN’s International Year of Planet Earth is being celebrated in 2008, and to mark the occasion Nature in Art has brought together a series of work from both public and private collections to give a fresh perspective on some of the main themes of the year, including ‘deep Earth – from crust to core’; ‘ocean – abyss of time’; ‘soil – Earth’s living skin’ and ‘Earth and life – the origins of diversity’.

The UN’s programme is designed to raise worldwide public and political awareness of the vast but often under-used potential of Earth sciences for improving the quality of life and safeguarding the planet. Organisers say that although this is predominantly a science based initiative, art can play a pivotal role in inspiring and informing people about the fascinating subject.

For centuries the majesty of the planet, its stunning forms and colours have all inspired artists, as have the myriad of environments in which countless species live. It also provides stone for sculptors and craftspeople, pigment for paints, the raw materials for glass and ceramics. The diversity of these impacts and influences will be reflected in the exhibition.

Representing a broad spectrum of styles and traditions, visitors to Nature in Art can expect to see – and in some cases purchase – works by a variety of artists including Peter Chatwin and Pamela Martin; David Barker; Alan Bennett; Tadek Beutlich; John Ridgeway; John Busby; Keith Shackleton; Julia Sorrell; Henk van Zanten and many more.

Venue: Nature in Art
Dates: Until Sunday 13 July 2008
Times: Nature in Art is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm.
Tickets: Admission to Nature in Art is £4.50 for adults, £4 for the over 60s and under 16s, and £13 for families. The under 8s are admitted free. Phone Nature in Art on (01452) 731422 or visit nature-in-art.org.uk for more information.

SoGlos.com
10 June 2008