Monkey Brand

Sculptures by Leigh Dyer

Brumfelds Gallery
September 13 November 1
Brumfelds Gallery has commissioned a large body of new work by British sculptor, Leigh
Dyer, which will take the September/October slot in their exhibition schedule. Te gallery
aspires to bring work of national and international signifcance to Boise, providing a wider
context in which to embed the Northwest based art that forms the cornerstone of their
program. Opening on the 13th September, this will be Dyers frst US exhibition.
Leigh Dyer is a self-taught sculptor, working in recycled mild and stainless steel. Taking
the advice of an artist mentor, he set about perfecting his work and gaining acknowledgement
from his local audience, before exacting it to the scrutiny of the wider art world. As a
result you can barely move anywhere in his home town of Hastings without coming across
one of his commissioned works A large barnacled shell and fsh sculpture on the sea
front created for the Winkle Club; serpents, sea horses and an octopus entwine about
bollards and chess pieces in a public square; an enormous metal Clover Tree grows from
the ground in front of sheltered housing. In the early days he focused on architectural
details, such as sconce lighting, railings, sculptural casings for security cameras, stands for
menus, and there is scarcely a bar or restaurant in the Old Town of Hastings that doesnt
have a piece of the artists work incorporated into their interior.
Even in these early works his style is distinguishable from the crowd, and he has honed his
craf to convey a unique voice in metal work. In 2009 he was commissioned by the
London Borough of Southwark to create a piece for Denmark Hill Village Green. Te
same year he exhibited a new collection of hunting trophy inspired sculptures. With these
two bodies of work Dyer had reached a level of sophistication both in construction and
composition to placed him as one of Britains fnest metalwork sculptors.
Te artist has a clear idea of each sculpture before picking up his welding gear or
beginning to form the sheet metal on the anvil. He collects ideas as they occur to him,
tucking them away until the opportunity arises to make them real. He then searches for
reference images and begins to fesh out the designs on paper. Te sketches are an
intermediate stage of unexplained alchemy, where an abstract notion in combination with
2 dimensional images, becomes 3 dimensional form.
Dyer strives to shape industrial and imposing materials into accessible objects with
touchability. Reclaimed nails and hardware become recognizable and relatable animal
fgures, such as rams, wolves, and monkeys. His aim is to cause his audience to engage
with their surroundings. He hopes, in this way, to encourage viewers to look again and
perhaps alter their relationship with a particular place or site. Dyer writes, I enjoy the
challenge of bringing together diferent techniques, experimenting with traditional and
modern methods in order to convey an idea.
Dyers new body of work consists of individual
pieces, strong enough to stand alone, but for the
purposes of this exhibition, forming an installation
depicting an abandoned study, flled with antiques,
trophies and specimens. As the viewer enters the
gallery, they are not alone. Mischievous monkeys
cavort across the room. In one corner, two of the
instigators of trouble play chess as their cohorts
wreak havoc amongst the rooms treasures.
Leigh Dyers show will open Saturday,
September 13 from 7 - 9 p.m. at Brumfelds
Gallery. Te gallerys openings fall on the
second Saturday of each month and are
always open to the public. Te opening will
feature a no-host bar provided by 13th Street
Pub & Grill. If youd like to know more
about Leigh Dyer, this show and/or receive
press image, please contact Brumfelds
Gallery at (208) 333 - 0309 or
gallery@brumfeldllc.com. You can also visit
the website at wwww.brumfeldllc.com.
Please note all images are Paddy Boyle,
and the photographer should be credited.
Brumfelds Gallery 1513 North 13th Street Boise Idaho
T: 208 333 0309 W: www.brumfeldllc.com E: gallery@brumfeldllc.com