Nothingness, an exhibition at Parndon Mill Gallery

'Nothingness' includes the work of five artists with links to Digswell Arts: Hideki Arichi, Ella Carty, Jo Howe, Alex McIntyre and William White. These artists respond to the theme of nothingness using a variety of media: Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture and Drawing. Originally inspired by an edition of 'Start the Week', a BBC R4 programme in which the idea of 'nothingness' was examined from different perspectives, these artists bring their own creative insight to the subject.

For Alex McIntyre 'nothingness' is a leap of faith; the emptiness into which inspiration rushes. Nothingness is difficult to comprehend because the very act of considering it changes it. It is glimpsed at the periphery of consciousness: both before and after, ecstasy and grief. For this exhibition Alex is producing drawings that question human states of being.

Ella Carty's work is a personal exploration of the existential state of 'nothingness'. Her paintings of landscapes evoke a sense of both isolation and stillness. There is a sense in which these empty and seductive landscapes are both intriguing and unsettling. Her use of colour and its capacity to entice emotion is striking. Ella says 'I wanted to convey a sense of unreality as well as detachment, to communicate a sense of how it feels to be in a state of nothingness.'

Jo Howe explores the notion of 'nothingess' by exploring emotional responses to 'the space in-between'. Jo's practice focuses on the frustrations of human communication working with old manuscripts that bear the physical imperfections and aromas of past human handling and thus retain elements of their human presence. The book or page becomes a tool for looking inwards to our evolving personal narratives rather than the read contents of the book as text.

William White is a printmaker based in Cornwall. His take on 'nothingness' is a study of the satellite dishes at Goonhilly on the Lizard peninsular in Cornwall, which are currently in the process of being recommissioned. Goonhilly is a cluster of satellite dishes known for receiving the first ever Trans-Atlantic satellite TV images, broadcast by Telstar in1962. These gigantic structures, seemingly staring at nothing were perfect inspiration for the title 'nothingness'.

Hideki Arichi is a British born Japanese artist. He is approaching the idea of 'nothingness' by reading Eastern philosophical interpretations found in Zen Buddhism and by identifying personal reactions and indicators to these. The work includes paintings, drawings and prints.

For more information visit http://www.parndonmill.co.uk/next_exhibition.html