The Garage And The Jaunt Present a New Series Of Hyland Mather Sculptures

A trip to Israel and the city Haifa created a fresh outlook for Hyland Mather using the artist’s materials of choice to create a new series of sculptures & wooden collages.Bringing back an entire suitcase full of gathered inspiration, helped to create his new installation Aleph. The Garage gallery in Amsterdam teamed with The Jaunt to present the result of the trip which stimulated the artist to re-examine traditional typography, reference the famous author Jorge Luis Borges, and create an installation comprised of original wooden works.

The Inspiration Behind Hyland Mather's Sculpture Objects

With the sole purpose of finding inspiration, art and travel project The Jaunt sent Hyland Mather to Haifa, Israel in September. With no rules, no agenda and complete freedom, the artist explored the city to learn more about Jewish traditions, the Hebrew and Arabic alphabets, a leaf called Khat, and his surroundings. Following the tradition of assemblage art and the use of found objects, recycled materials, or junk, the author extended his practice. Fascinated by the unknown and the aesthetic quality of the old letters, the result is a series of sculptures and reclaimed wood collages. “The written Hebrew and Arabic languages are so foreign to me that my eyes don't see letters, they see shapes and those shapes are exciting and new. Aleph is the first letter of both the Arabic and Hebrew alphabet, and numerically represents the number one.”

What Does the Wood Hide?

In the words of Mark Chalmers, the owner of the gallery, the artist “has an incredible feeling for composition and is a master of materials. His work feels harmonious, effortless, gracious, powerful, and it makes for a beautiful installation.” Capturing his audience, Mather invites the public to explore the beauty of geometric shapes and abstraction. By referencing the short story Aleph, written by Jorge Luis Borges, his installation is given a deeper philosophical meaning. The plot of the story explores the idea of unity, a single point in space which contains all other points, and allows for a simultaneous gaze at everything in the universe. Could we understand the parts of the wooden installation as individual points which open the doors to the universe and the unknown that inspires us all?

The Sculptural Installation Aleph at Garage Gallery in Amsterdam

The Garage is a 17th century carriage house in the canals of Amsterdam. With a programme of high- end, low-key shows, the gallery celebrates the work of both emerging & established international contemporary artists through the presentation of intimate and high profile artist installations. 

The Jaunt is a project that sends artists on trips all over the world in order to experience new surroundings and become inspired. Once returned from their travels, this newfound inspiration is translated into an artwork that is produced in a limited edition. For Hyland Mather's Jaunt trip to Haifa, this resulted in the installation Aleph which opens at The Garage on 11th November 2016 from 18.00-21.00. The show runs for the weekend of Saturday, November 12 & Sunday 13 from 11.00-17.00 with an artist Q&A on Sunday from 14.00-15.00.

All images courtesy of The Garage gallery. Featured image in slider: Hyland Mather – Collection of 'Aleph' sculptures in progress; Hyland Mather – Collection of 'Aleph' sculptures in progress.