Modern Heirlooms

Modern Heirlooms brings together three artists from the Inverlochy Art School community; Antoinette Ratcliffe, Ben Klocek and Cherryl Corrado.

Working across figurative drawing, ethical taxidermy, and sculpture using recycled materials; artwork in this exhibition finds inspiration in historical lives and objects, while being decidedly forward-thinking. Each artist in this exhibition gently challenges human-centric perspectives, offering in its place a more hopeful outlook centered on reciprocity and care.

Antoinette Ratcliffe completed her Master of Arts at The School of Media Arts in 2011, adding ethical taxidermy to her practice in 2016. Her art practice explores anthropomorphic association using taxidermy, where the animals find themselves in relationships created out of circumstance. Along with being an exhibiting artist, she also works on taxidermy in an art conservator role for art collectors and museums. Antoinette’s works are held in collections around the world. A list of Antoinette’s exhibitions and a link to her TEDxPipitea talk, ‘What’s so ethical about ethical taxidermy’ can be found on her website
the-sick-bay.com .

Ben Klocek's work in "Modern Heirlooms" presents an evocative series of portraits, finely crafted in pencil and ink. Each piece juxtaposes the intimacy of the human form against a vast, starry expanse, inviting contemplation on our existence within time and space. Through intricate detail and expressive linework, Ben creates poignant, personal reflections on identity, memory, and the human experience.

Cheryl Corrado is a self-taught artist who is passionate about the environment, strives to make a minimal impact on the planet and has a knack for seeing the artistic potential in discarded items. She is inspired by artists such as Rosalie Gascoigne, Jasper Johns, Louise Nevelson and Robert Rauschenberg, all of whom created art from found objects.

Her materials come from construction sites and cast-off rubbish found or given by friends and family. She works intuitively, inspired mainly by the material she selects and combines in response to a conceived general design idea. The overall feeling and sense of balance of the final piece is paramount. She is stimulated by colours, shapes and patterns. She enjoys challenging the boundaries of what is discarded and sending, even if only at a sub-conscience level, the reduce, reuse, recycle message to her audience.