‘Alter’ by Bruce Rowe

‘Alter’, a collection of 280 vibrant ceramic sculptures by artist Bruce Rowe will be exhibited at The Front Room Gallery in Melbourne from December 5 through to December 14.

Born in Perth, Bruce Rowe currently lives and works in Melbourne and has exhibited sculptures, paintings and drawings in Australia and the United States, with ‘Alter’ being Rowe’s sixth solo exhibition of sculptures. Having studied design before obtaining a Bachelor of Architecture, Rowe’s artistic practice explores time, material and process. He is also the creative director of Anchor, a design studio he founded that merges the disciplines of design, craft, architecture and art, widely known for its structured material research program into the potentiality of ceramics, waste stream redirection and non-traditional production methods.

 The sculptures are colourful and almost toy-like, inviting one to touch, experience and engage with the works.

At the exhibition, the 280 sculptures are arranged in groupings on 80 ceramic plinths, with each set comprising three to five individual sculptures sitting atop a ceramic plinth. The sculptures are colourful and almost toy-like, inviting one to touch, experience and engage with the works. They feature abstract forms including towers, grids, walls, columns and bridges that evoke memories of objects and places.

Each sculpture is built by hand, using a variety of specialised clay bodies and various surface treatments. So, while the sculptures are small in scale, they are layered with different forms and textures. The colour palette is also mixed, both tonally and chromatically. Rowe chooses to use different hues as he believes colour is a way to visually represent light that inspires joy and the desire to touch.

When touching the works, one can also rearrange its elements. Each time a sculpture is rearranged, it becomes unique to that person.

In this sense, ‘Alter’ is a tactile and tangible exhibition, where one can feel, use and experience the works and foster a personal connection. When touching the works, one can also rearrange its elements. Each time a sculpture is rearranged, it becomes unique to that person. This process comments on how we all experience the same thing differently, highlighting the multifaceted nature of the human experience.

The opening night event for ‘Alter’ will take place at The Front Room Gallery on 4 December from 6pm.