Specially commissioned for Gosport Gallery, Unearthing is a new artwork by Mary Branson, best known for her large-scale conceptual light works and in particular for her sculpture New Dawn in the Houses of Parliament.
Unearthing is a multimedia installation which holds at its core hundreds of locally discovered archaeological artefacts in a dramatic, sculptural display that tells the story of man’s journey through time to the present day – the Age of Man.
Branson’s inspiration for the work came from research into archaeological finds in Hampshire Cultural Trust’s collections from both the Gosport area and across Hampshire. The artwork is a response to the ‘frozen’ period of the Covid lockdowns and emphasises the continuity of human history and the deep-rooted connections that we share with those who came before us.
The exhibition features newly created smoke-fired ceramic vessels and a large frieze, which were designed both to echo our distant past and give glimpses into our future and created in collaboration with the Gosport community. Visitors will experience the artwork as an immersive experience, with layers of sound and light projections interacting with the sculptural arrangements to evoke the circular ebb and flow of our existence.
This major new work explores rebirth and communality; it reassures the viewer while inviting them to consider the temporary nature of human experience in the vast chronology of time.
Supported by Arts Council of England
Image: ©David McKibbin
