Monkey BrandSculptures by Leigh Dyer

Brumfield’s GallerySeptember 13 – November 1

Brumfield’s Gallery has commissioned a large body of new work by British sculptor, Leigh Dyer, which will take the September/October slot in their exhibition schedule. The gallery aspires to bring work of national and international significance to Boise, providing a wider context in which to embed the Northwest based art that forms the cornerstone of their program. Opening on the 13th September, this will be Dyer’s first US exhibition.

Leigh Dyer is a self-taught sculptor, working in recycled mild and stainless steel. Taking the advice of an artist mentor, he set about perfecting his work and gaining acknowledgement from his local audience, before exacting it to the scrutiny of the wider art world. As a result you can barely move anywhere in his home town of Hastings without coming across one of his commissioned works – A large barnacled shell and fish sculpture on the sea front created for the Winkle Club; serpents, sea horses and an octopus entwine about bollards and chess pieces in a public square; an enormous metal ‘Clover Tree’ grows from the ground in front of sheltered housing. In the early days he focused on architectural details, such as sconce lighting, railings, sculptural casings for security cameras, stands for menus, and there is scarcely a bar or restaurant in the Old Town of Hastings that doesn’t have a piece of the artist’s work incorporated into their interior.

Even in these early works his style is distinguishable from the crowd, and he has honed his craft to convey a unique voice in metal work. In 2009 he was commissioned by the London Borough of Southwark to create a piece for Denmark Hill Village Green. The same year he exhibited a new collection of hunting trophy inspired sculptures. With these two bodies of work Dyer had reached a level of sophistication both in construction and composition to placed him as one of Britain’s finest metalwork sculptors.

The artist has a clear idea of each sculpture before picking up his welding gear or beginning to form the sheet metal on the anvil. He collects ideas as they occur to him, tucking them away until the opportunity arises to make them real. He then searches for reference images and begins to flesh out the designs on paper. The sketches are an intermediate stage of unexplained alchemy, where an abstract notion in combination with 2 dimensional images, becomes 3 dimensional form.

Dyer strives to shape industrial and imposing materials into accessible objects with “touchability”. Reclaimed nails and hardware become recognizable and relatable animal figures, such as rams, wolves, and monkeys. His aim is to cause his audience to engage with their surroundings. He hopes, in this way, to encourage viewers to look again and perhaps alter their relationship with a particular place or site. Dyer writes, “I enjoy the challenge of bringing together different techniques, experimenting with traditional and modern methods in order to convey an idea.”

Dyer’s new body of work consists of individual pieces, strong enough to stand alone, but for the purposes of this exhibition, forming an installation depicting an abandoned study, filled with antiques, trophies and specimens. As the viewer enters the gallery, they are not alone. Mischievous monkeys cavort across the room. In one corner, two of the instigators of trouble play chess as their cohorts wreak havoc amongst the room’s treasures.

Leigh Dyer’s show will open Saturday, September 13 from 7 - 9 p.m. at Brumfield’s Gallery. The gallery’s openings fall on the second Saturday of each month and are always open to the public. The opening will feature a no-host bar provided by 13th Street Pub & Grill. If you’d like to know more about Leigh Dyer, this show and/or receive press image, please contact Brumfield’s Gallery at (208) 333 - 0309 or gallery@brumfieldllc.com. You can also visit the website at wwww.brumfieldllc.com.

Please note all images are © Paddy Boyle, and the photographer should be credited.

Brumfield’s Gallery 1513 North 13th Street Boise IdahoT: 208 333 0309 W: www.brumfieldllc.com E: gallery@brumfieldllc.com