Installations by Ally Clarke - 2. Agony of Hope

In it's original form the 'Agony of Hope' installation took the viewer through various different rooms and included film and drawing, as well as constructed elements. In summary, the work made use of the tree as a symbol of life and paper aeroplanes as a vehicle of individuals' hopes. Clearly, in being restaged, the work would need to be adapted to the venue but anyone interested in hosting this installation should contact commission4mission to discuss arrangements and options with Ally Clarke.

‘The Agony of Hope’ is a state of being we may experience at some point in our lives - the hope of rescue from danger, despair or pain, awaiting the fulfilment of a promise, the longing for a lover, a child ...

This hope can be cyclical - a weighty burden that seems to drag all aspects of life down with it and at other times, invigorating and inspirational and fuel for determination.

The imagery in this installation includes:

• the tree; a symbol of life, safety, reliability and throwing from the tree - the launching and release of our hopes;
• tubes hover and marks are made by the tree’s twigs, charting our pathway through our landscape as we commit to moving on;
• a sense of being burdened by a dragging and painful load is suggested in the use of literal weights - writhing, dangling, twisting, stretching ... this state goes on until a final breaking through;
• branches - broken elements from the tree become something new, something we can climb on to move upward to an unknown but enticing future. Paper air-planes become vehicles of our hopes. Each plane is personal and either literally or metaphorically, has our hopes inscribed. As a paper air-plane is launched, unsure how the design and currents will affect its flight, we too launch and release our hopes, motivated by the prospect of our hopes coming to fruition and more.

Installations by Ally Clarke - 1. Chosen Stones

For her first piece of work as Artist in Residence at the Bradfield Club, Ally Clarke wanted to create an artwork that in some way would enable her to become more connected to the Club - its origins, history and current contributors. In addition, she wanted to convey her heartfelt belief that the Bradfield Club is a special place and has a significant part to play in the realisation of a living, vibrant hope for the community in this time.

Everyone involved in the Bradfield Club was invited to give a stone for this artwork as a symbol of their connectedness to the Club. It was a real joy to receive each individually selected stone and Ally was deeply impressed by the thoughtfulness and generosity of the participants.

At the base of each of the twelve rising strands are stones from the Bradfield College - where the Club has its foundation and ongoing, essential support, along with stones from the immediate area around the Bradfield Club in Peckham. These link with other stones in the strands - an invisible connectedness - hinting at the unseen yet beautiful orchestration of God in and through our lives.

It was Ally's hope that in viewing the work those at the Bradfield Club would have a sense of wonder at their uniqueness and the invaluable contribution they make in their sphere of life and be able to delight in the fact that in wholesome alignment with God and others, an amazing living and eternal building project is taking place.

Now, assuming that space is available which could accommodate an installation, an exhibition with the 3D work 'Chosen Stones' and related 2D prints and mixed-media work can be made available by Ally at short notice. Please contact commission4mission if you would be interested in hosting this installation.

Ally Clarke

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Ally Clarke studied Sculpture and is inclined to create installation works complimented by photography, drawing, collage and print. Enjoying creative collaborations, she has recently worked with a Sculptor / Performance Artist producing film, sculptural and performance works.

Ally views her creative work as a means of investigating the world and engaging with others in the consideration and wonder of it, intending that the work communicate something of the value and uniqueness of us as individuals and stimulate consideration by the viewer of the particular, precious contribution each makes to their world. She presents evocative, personal creations that produce opportunities for reflection and refreshment.

The materials used in her installations are selected largely because of their symbolic nature and their inherent textural composition. Oftentimes the materials are collected from particular people - the forging of new friendships in this process is frequently an important aspect of the work.

Ally has installed a number of 3D works in 'sacred' spaces as an aid to worship and contemplation and loves to create artwork to compliment a particular sermon series or study theme. She has several installations which could be recreated on request in churches and other spaces. See Chosen Stones and Agony for Hope for more information.