Quadratic Boots by Mary Rouncefield
Mary is a printmaker and artist working in drawing, textiles and some screen print. She is based in Bristol.
She has a life long interest in mathematics and many of her screen prints feature mathematical graphs or patterns. She also uses the symbol of a corset as a metaphor for the mental discipline imposed by mathematics. The end result, for the mathematician, will often be elegant, concise and beautiful, but to achieve that, she/he must conform to the conventions and logic of their subject.
In 2007, while still a student, she was short listed for the Jerwood Drawing Prize. Other exhibitions include,the 7th International Mini Print Exhibition organised by the Printmakers’ Council, the Royal West of England Academy Autumn Exhibition in 2009 and Wrexham Print International in 2011.
In 2014 a series of drawings on Human Trafficking were exhibited by Guerilla Galleries in London. She also contributed work to ‘Traditions Run Deeper than Law’ at the Red Gallery in 2015. A conference held at the Center for Women’s Health and Human Rights at Suffolk University Law School (Boston MA) also featured her work, in June 2015. This summer, she painted again live at Upfest 2017.
Mary cares very much about the injustices and cruelty meted out to vulnerable members of our human society, and believes that art can be a means of communication and a catalyst for change.
Mary's work at the Shakespeare 2017
Make yourself a mathematician
About Make yourself a mathematician Mary says 'A play on words – does it mean making oneself into a mathematician (presumably by learning all the relevant formulae) or making a (puppet) mathematician who will do one’s bidding? In the first instance the formulae provide the means, in the second instance, the body parts are to be assembled!'
Mary says: 'Full Circle is inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s famous drawing ; ‘Vitruvian Man’ in which he strove to relate man’s ‘ideal proportions’ to the natural world and to look for a hidden pattern that connected man to the universe. Living as he was nearly 500 years ago, da Vinci would have seen ‘man’ as representing human-kind. It would not have occurred to him to substitute the figure of a female. My drawing shows a woman within the circle to show the symmetry of her proportions. Generally the width of her armspan from finger-tip to finger-tip will approximately equal her height.'
Quadratic Boots by Mary Rouncefield
About QUADRATIC BOOTS Mary says:
'This is a pun on the mathematical term ‘quadratic roots’ (those points on the horizontal (x) axis where the graph of a quadratic curve crosses it. ) The purple platform boots worn by the female figure are the quadratic boots in question!'
Coming soon
Mary will be showing us some new work for The Totterdown Arts Trail at the Shakespeare 18th and 19th of November and you can also meet the artist on Sunday 19th.
Click below for more blogs about our artists at The Shakespeare for The Totterdown Arts Trail
Totterdown Arts Trail
Shakespeare Pub, Totterdown
Saturday and Sunday 18-19 November 2017
1 Henry St, Bristol, BS3 4UD
Prints avaiable at the bar or from The Kane Gallery
The lady and the tiger by Mary Rouncefield see it next at The Totterdown Arts Trail
