18 Nov 2024
A new solo exhibition exploring the relationship between humans and objects has officially opened at St Albans Museum + Gallery.
Maria Meyer: Thingchronicity, curated by UH Arts + Culture, runs until March 9, and sees the St Albans based artist create innovative arrangements of objects which encourages visitors to see them in a new way.
She explained: “Thingchronicity explores the symbolism, magic, power, and values that objects have in our lives.
“Many of the objects I work with seem to appear just when I need them, as though destined to be part of something else. Some are found discarded by bins, others are given to me, while some have simply waited in my possession until the right moment.
“The old animal bones I collected from the Thames foreshore were like that—each time I visited the Tate Modern, I’d walk along the beach and gather a few, not knowing how they’d eventually fit into my work. The bones, laid out in a line, evoked a spine, a structure that supports us through life. In our later years, a walking stick may become that added support, mirroring the role of the spine. Together, these objects tell a story of support and resilience.”
The artist said discarded objects and images often speak to her, whether she finds them on eBay or on someone’s driveway with a ‘please take’ sign: “Items that have been overlooked or thrown away intrigue me, as they often carry untold stories and potential for new narratives. My father was an antiques dealer with several lock-ups rammed to the gunnels. Just the smell of those places and the look and feel of the old things in them inspired my vivid imagination as a child.”
She added: “I worked on the design and fabrication of some of the signage for St Albans Museum + Gallery when it was first renovated. During a tour of the building, while they were excavating the large basement to create the Weston Gallery, I remember thinking how incredible it would be to one day have a show here.
“Now, seven years later, here I am, with a solo exhibition. The sculptural pieces in this show are crafted from objects (many of which were collected from St Albans and the surrounding area) and items often overlooked or discarded, but now given new life and fresh meaning.”
The free exhibition runs in the Keeper’s Galleries, and questions the environmental impact of waste and rampant consumerism. The artworks encourage visitors to consider their relationships with objects and their choices to collect and dispose of material things.
Maria added: “I hope the exhibition provokes thoughts around the values and meanings we place on ‘things'”‘ and how easy they are to disrupt, with small contextual changes. I would also like people to reflect on the societal norms regarding which objects are considered worthy and how they become more valuable or obsolete over the passage of time.”
All photos by Simon Jacobs
