GÂST
GÂST stems from the Middle English 'guest' or 'spirit' and its etymology 'ghost', and is the pseudonym and collaborative vehicle of visual artists Laura Mahony and Dale Fearnley. Their practice is informed by the resonance of site and being, whereby by the use of archival material, sculpture, time based media, and live performance, seeks to engage, interrogate, and at times, displace. Introspectively, works meditate wildernesses, both outer and internal, ruminating alternative and fictionalised narratives, in the pursuit of abstract truths through divination and material practices. In turn, these processes inform the broader strokes and ambitions of the vehicle, collaboration as practice, that extends to wider participation with individuals, groups and communities. The work unfolds using play, chance and divination as a platform to explore collective memory, oral histories and ritual of a place. These instances in turn can manifest as theatrical event or absurd interruptions that are encountered and documented as mythologies of their own.
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GÂST is the collaborative practice of Laura Mahony and Dale Fearnley; both are graduates of the Masters of Letters Fine Art Practice programme (Sculpture pathway, 2016-2017) at Glasgow School of Art. For six months GÂST where Artists in Residence with Berwick Visual Arts in partnership with Centre for Rural Economy, Newcastle University culminating in their first public solo exhibition, ‘in the best of spirits’ at The Gymnasium Gallery, Berwick-upon-Tweed and supporting publication ‘Eternal Optimism’ (2018), and was kindly supported and funded by Berwick Visual Arts, Centre for Rural Economy, Newcastle University and Institute of Sustainability, Newcastle University. GÂST have been involved in multiple projects and group shows including; Yellow Belly, 20-21 Visual Arts Centre, Scunthorpe, UK; Supermarket’ 17 (w/ The Carousel Institute of Arts), Stockholm, Sweden; Sunscreen Collection, One Thoresby Street and New Art Exchange, Nottingham and QUAD, Derby, UK; Case for Curio, X-Church, Gainsborough. UK; Light Lunchtime Lecture Drill Hall, Lincoln. UK; Sunscreen, EM15 Pavilion, La Biennale di Venezia, Italy; Exchange Rates (w. Frank Bobbins Institute (F.B.I.)) Sluice_ Bushwick, New York. USA; Abroad(cast) Oslo Kunsthavn, Oslo, Norway. They currently work and reside in Glasgow, Scotland. UK.