Carol Peace & Andrew Squire: Life on Earth

Thompson's Gallery London proudly presents Life on Earth, a dual exhibition of paintings by Andrew Squire and sculpture by Carol Peace.

Life on Earth situates Squire's Keystone Species painting series in conversation with the ethereal figures of Peace. The pairing sparks dialogue around topics of coexistence, habitat, and hope among all beings on the planet.

Andrew Squire is a Scottish painter whose practice combines the formal elements of Scottish Colourism with a conceptual focus on environmentalism. The artist's depictions suspend animals in fields of colour, alluding to natural habitat but raising concerns of preservation. The brightly hued compositions are designed to convey joy and worry at once, purposely omitting abundant vegetation and accompanying animals.

 

"KEYSTONE SPECIES This collection of paintings is a life-affirming celebration of just a few of the keystone species which are essential to a balanced and healthy ecosystem. As with the keystone in a masonry arch, a keystone species, which can be any organism from large mammals to bacteria & fungi, is a pivotal component in maintaining the delicate balance of an ecological structure. If that species is removed, it sets off a chain reaction which can cause the whole system to collapse Indigenous people, living intimately with the natural world, have always understood this balance. As our societies have become urbanised and more detached, so that understanding has become lost in our enthusiastic exploitation of the planet." Andrew Squire

British sculptor Carol Peace brings human presence to this consideration of 'Life on Earth', specialising in figurative sculptures hewn from the ground's clay before bronze and resin casting. Peace's process points to the origins of man, from the Earth and always attached. The figures interact with organic shapes, wooden platforms, and one another in seamless harmony. Messages of peaceful coexistence, care for fellow beings and surroundings, and visions of longevity pervade Peace's body of work.

Andrew Squire's 2D worlds combine with Carol Peace's 3D expressions to produce a space for consideration of this 'Life on Earth' – what state are we in now, and what do we hope to create for ourselves and those after us?