‘Spruced Up’
A collection of works on paper

phrasal verb with spruce verb
UK /spruːs/ US /spruːs

Informal:
to change the appearance of something by making it neater or by adding decorations.

To ‘spruce’ something up is to tidy up, to arrange, to present cleanly. This is not just the official definition, but also within this specific narrative, whereby removing the work from the studio environment and thereafter curating onto walls of a gallery, instantly allows for transformation. The works are given room to breathe, often a rarity when on display within a working studio. In this context, the works will be ‘spruced up’ when positioned within a curatorial setting. What qualities each piece already exhibits, will become much more enhanced. A play on words is also present here; In the UK, the Spruce tree is one of the more commonly used trees in the production of wood pulp for paper production. This show of works on paper, therefore, allows for double meaning to come into play.

‘Spruced Up’ brings together an all female group of fifteen artists – two of which are Aberdeen based painters and the others consisting of thirteen current Royal College of Art Students, studying for their MA in painting. Each work is individual in thematic exploration, application of material and scale – all with the emphasis on the surface being paper. Paper is often the very essence of how a work is conceptualised – from initial studies for paintings to final works. There is fluidity to the surface too; much more experimental approaches can unfold due to the nature of the material, it does not hold such heavy historical significance and weight as other surfaces such as stretched and primed cotton or linen. In other words, we do not face up to a sheet of paper as we do the blank canvas.

For all enquiries, please contact summermapplebeck4@gmail.com

This exhibition brings together a collection of works on paper by fifteen female artists, varied in material, surface, subject and scale. Two of these artists are currently based in Aberdeen; Niamh Hughes who graduated with a BA (Hons) in Painting from Grays School of Art in 2023; and Lotta Wald who is currently working towards her final degree show at Grays School of Art this June. The remaining thirteen painters are currently based in London and studying for their MA in Painting at the Royal College of Art.

A group exhibition including works by:
Soryun Ahn
Sophie Bartlett
Alison Cook
Ana Monsó Galindo
Niamh Hughes
Harin Jeon
Felicity Nutt
Seohyun Oh
Jacqueline Seddon
Yujin Son
Saint Takyi
Isis Zhané Taylor-Hudson
Lotta Wald
Charlotte Worthington
Eva Yates