Mr & Mrs Basic

About

In one of the most exciting shows of the summer, the bowie gallery in Totnes presents work by Alice Leach. Her new series of paintings and handmade prints are based around her story of Mr and Mrs Basic and their pet hyena. Hapless victims of their own fate they decide to take their pet hyena on holiday and are bemused to see their pet follow its nose and discover love and nourishment. They leave with a symbolic load of baggage whilst the hyena happily trades them in for a mate of its own. 'Leach uses the metaphorical Mr and Mrs Basic to illustrate the constant battle we all face in attempting to escape the confines of our own consciousness. They are unable to release themselves or each other in order to find happiness, although the artist assures me the work is ultimately a portrayal of hope.... The hyena in this story suggesting if we could only learn to break away from from the dominance of our despotic minds and trust more in our instincts we could all live essentially happier lives