Andrea Hasler and Pam Hardman present new work made specifically for this exhibition at Greenham Arts. Exploring the political, social and cultural context of Greenham Common this exhibition brings together the work of two artists who’s work could not be more different. Andrea’s highly challenging wax sculptures stand in contrast to Pam’s careful drawings, one bringing emotionally charged sculptures while the other presents beautifully considered observations of her local area and it’s history.

Every two years the New Greenham Arts gallery opens its doors to emerging and established artists. The 2012 Greenham Common Open exhibition saw sixteen artists exhibit work exploring the history of the New Greenham Arts Gallery and its location - the de-commissioned American nuclear airbase at Greenham Common. Andrea Hasler and Pam Hardman were selected as winners by curator Mark Segal (previsously Director of ArtSway and now theartistsagency), Sally Haynes (local artist) and Pat Eastop (Director of the West Berkshire and North Hampshire Open Studios Scheme).

“For the New Greenham Arts exhibition, I have created a new sculptural body of work that takes Greenham Common’s history as a starting point, particularly the Women’s Peace Camp with its tents situated on the site during this time” explains Andrea Hasler. “This new work also takes into account the historical perspective, as well as entwines with the recreational aspect of how Greenham Common as a site, is being used now, as well as New Greenham Arts gallery being located in the former American Army’s entertainment quarter. Metaphorically I am taking the notion of the tents which were on site during the Women’s Peace Camp, as the container for emotions and ‘humanise’ these elements to create emotional surfaces.”

Hasler has taken the approach she used in her prize winning work, Irreducible Complexity/Dual Act, and applied it to new works in this exhibition, two life size tent’s and three new ‘figures’. Hasler has taken the intestine modelling used for Irreducible Complexity/Dual Act and applied this approach of exploded or exposed wax figures to a pair of tents, creatively exploring the consequences of a nuclear explosion, while retaining the notion of container, nurturing the concerns of the peace camps.

“The Airfield was one of a series of large monochrome pieces the I did for my final project at college in 2011. This charcoal drawing showed the airfield as it was in the days of the American occupation of the Base with written annotations of various positions making up the site. My project was an investigation into the aspects and issues related to the use of Greenham Common exploring the passage of time; covering social political and historical findings” says Pam Harding.

“For the exhibition, I am developing some large charcoal drawings on the theme of Greenham, layered with human histories, identifies and memories, that will reveal some spectre of the landscape as both witness and archivist” she continues.

Pam’s work is mostly observational drawing, which she describes as a paradoxical combination of the meditative with the transitory. It is an act of contemplation that takes her time to create. She uses charcoal for her large drawings, exploring techniques such as rubbing, blending, smoothing, dusting, smudging, erasing, blending sticks, cloths and rubbers.

The Exhibition opens to the public from on Thursday 30 January until Friday 11 April 2014 at New Greenham Arts with a private viewing in the evening of Thursday 30 January.

Pam Hardman lives and works in Newbury where she has her own studio and printing press. She graduated from Bath University with a BA Hons (Drawing for Fine Art Practice) in 2011.

Andrea Hasler was born in Zürich, Switzerland, and currently lives and works in London. She holds an MA Fine Art from Chelsea College of Art & Design. www.andreahasler.com.