'Snowdrops and Candles Soothed the Bedside'

About

Viv Sole and Jane Tudge respond to the poem Mid-Term Break by Seamus Heaney — in their own very different ways. Viv Sole uses a mix of found objects and her own skilfully crafted work to reflect this achingly sad poem. Her minimalist, elegant pieces continue her practice's investigation into loss, love and memories. Her restrained palette and carefully chosen materials are evident again in new works like As in His Cot, in which she has stitched hundreds of white marble chippings to a baby blanket — a quiet powerful work. A child's scuffed white shoes, aged and other-worldly, carry not onlyà‚ the suggestion of a past life, but also highlight the feelings of absence and loss. Baby socks, blanket, toy soldiers all tell their story, while a tiny teddy bear wearing a black armband alludes to those strange roadside tributes that are becoming ubiquitous. Book Artà‚ has long been a Sole enthusiasm, and created for this exhibition is the altered book Guess how much I love you" andà‚ an albumà‚ with a title taken directly from Heaney's poem "wearing a poppy bruise"