A Wilde imagination
Blackheath artist Helen Wilde has had a varied career, her colourful work encompassing such areas as painting, sculpture, printmaking, mixed medium and ceramics.
In 2009 a wood yard in Herne Bay gave her a small piece of plywood to paint upon. It had the foreman’s written calculations and measurements on its surface. This inspired and was the beginning of her use of a ready-made form, evolving into constructions incorporating found and created objects.
Helen is a Royal College of Art graduate and a Rome Scholar in printmaking. Having lived in Blackheath for more 20 years, and in Greenwich since returning from Rome in 1985, she recently had a book of her work published, Wilde Constructions, which was printed at Empress Litho in Woolwich and designed by Torin Brown.
The book showcases some of the Constructions produced by Helen over the past seven years and the story surrounding these, sometimes, emotional pieces. The accompanying text was written by Helen.
“It was a challenge to write as little as possible, allowing some of the images speak for themselves,” she says.
The current exhibition Wilde Constructions, to launch the book, is at One New Street, Herne Bay, CT6 5AH. Helen opened the Gallery, with a studio and workshop, two years ago with her husband Terry Sole.
The ambiance and restoration of the gallery was Inspired by her stay in Lower Manhattan New York in the early 1980’s.
“New York has remained a lasting inspiration to me,” she says.
One New Street was originally (circa 1890) a butcher’s shop and surviving original features have been retained and restored. There have been visitors who worked there in their youth, including a elderly gentleman who made the sausages, in what is now one of the galleries.
As a non-commercial gallery, exhibiting artists sometimes of international acclaim, One New Street is a place to look at art even without the intention of buying. The gallery also offers website and book design (www.newstreetstudios.co.uk) with an emphasis on sensitive personal communication and assistance.
Further information: onenewstreet.co.uk, helenwilde.co.uk
This article appeared in the Winter 2016 issue of Black + Green Magazine