Journey Into Night

Taylor-Jensen Fine Arts kicks off the 2010 gallery exhibition year with a show and sale of new work by Palmerston North artist Beth Charles.

Journey into Night will feature a variety of media that the artist uses to express her thoughts and to engage her audience. On display will be eight original prints – 4 full-sheet and 4 half-sheet works; six painted wooden panels (‘shields’) which include found objects; seven textile hangings and two framed bead works, which are signature pieces for this multi-talented artist. Ms Charles writes in her artist’s statement: “The night has many moods. My show touches on a few of them, from the dreamers and sleepwalkers to the defenders beset by enemies in the darkness.” A most interesting theme to start off the New Year!

A reception to honour the artist will be held on Friday, 5th February from 5 to 7 PM at the gallery.

Further to her artist’s statement, Beth writes: “Night, the opposite of day, the darker part, can be treacherous. It can also be a sanctuary. Darkness protects both the hunter and the lover. There is an edge to night that gives pause and uncertainty to actions that seem easy and possible by day. But night can also be for the adventurer and the star-gazer. English poet Lord Byron’s (George Gordon Byron 1788-1824) poem started my night thoughts.”

Journey into Night

So we'll go no more a-roving
So late into the night,
Though the heart be still as loving,
And the moon be still as bright.

For the sword outwears its sheath,
And the soul wears out the breast,
And the heart must pause to breathe,
And love itself have rest.

Though the night was made for loving,
And the day returns too soon,
Yet we'll go no more a-roving
By the light of the moon.

Beth Charles was born in England and came to New Zealand with her family in 1982. She holds a degree in Fine Arts from Wanganui Community Polytechnic (now UCOL Wanganui) where she majored in printmaking.

She has exhibited in New Zealand and internationally, winning several awards for her work. Her first exhibition at Taylor-Jensen Fine Arts was as part of a group show hosted by the gallery in January 2007. ‘Connections: New Pacific Studio, NZ’ featured two American artists and two New Zealand artists who had shared studio space at NPS, located near Mt. Bruce in the Wairarapa. In September/October 2008, Taylor-Jensen Fine Arts hosted Charles’ very successful exhibition 24 Hours: What a Difference a Day Makes featuring 24 constructed drawings with which Charles articulated her ideas about time.

Ms Charles is represented in corporate and private collections in New Zealand, Australia, United States of America, London, Paris and Japan. Telecom NZ and Massey University also have several of her works in their collections.

Event listed by Stuart Schwartz

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