SEEING BEYOND
BY HONDARTZA FRAGA
1 JULY - 29 SEPTEMBER 2024 AT EYE ROOM
THE ART COURT X
EYE ROOM
The Art Court was founded in 2022 by Courtney Spencer to sell, source, and commission art for public and private settings in the North of England.
We curate temporary exhibitions in stunning spaces across Yorkshire to provide a welcoming way to buy art. Owning artworks that truly resonate with you can enhance your everyday experiences. We work to understand your taste, space, budget, and logistical considerations to search our extensive network of artists to find the perfect piece for you.
We are excited to be collaborating with Eye Room. This is the third in a series of exhibitions that the independent optician is hosting at their Scandinavian setting in Leeds City Centre. Already known for their carefully curated range of eyewear and discerning sense of style, art exhibitions further enhance a visit to Eye Room for clients and art lovers alike. The exhibition can be viewed in this online catalogue and in person.
OPENING TIMES
Mon - Fri, 10 am - 6 pm Sat 10 am - 5 pm
All welcome
Eye Room, 9 Mill Hill, Leeds LS1 5DQ
SEEING BEYOND
JUL - SEP 2024
I first met Hondartza Fraga in 2014 when her artistic practice focused on whaling and maritime history, expressed through drawings and photography based works. She was captivated by whales, whale bones, the ocean, deep sea, and the ways we access these enigmatic places.
When she shared that she was going to do a PhD focusing on Saturn and its associations with melancholy, I was slightly surprised. She explained that this new direction was not too dissimilar to her work with the ocean. Both themes involved exploring beyond what the naked eye can see and utilizing imagery to convey newfound knowledge about these hard-to-reach realms.
Her practice-led PhD delved into our intricate relationship with Saturn, reinterpreting visions from mythology to contemporary astronomy through drawings, installations, photographs, sound, digital works, and an artist’s book.
Saturn, once emblematic of melancholy (a blend of sadness, introspection, and yearning) was revisited in her work, intertwining the planet’s symbolic resonance with the notion of melancholy.
This exploration included working with the Cassini raw images, a collection of almost 400,000 unprocessed images sent to Earth
from the Cassini Space Mission (1997-2017). These raw images, with their preserved errors and glitches, became a source of immense interest for Hondartza.
The more she worked with the Cassini raw images, the more intrigued she became with the idea of materials or images being considered raw or unrefined. She explored this concept through the raw possibilities of materials such as ink and graphite, as well as software packages and digital printing.
This exhibition encapsulates the works produced over a six-year journey. The title reflects multiple dimensions of her inquiry including: the pursuit of understanding through images that go beyond natural vision, and also the anticipation of new horizons with the completion of her PhD last month.
This moment marks a significant transition in her practice, inviting reflection on the incredible body of work she has created and excitement for what lies ahead.
Courtney Spencer The Art Court
HONDARTZA FRAGA
B. 1980 A CORUÑA, SPAIN
Hondartza Fraga is a Spanish artist whose practice spans various mediums, including drawing, photography, video, and animation.
Hondartza’s work frequently reinterprets scientific imagery to explore alternative ways of making meaning.
She is captivated by our relationship with extreme environments, from the deep sea to deep space, which are recurring themes in her art.
Her work delves into the interplay between artistic and scientific processes, investigating how scientific discoveries are represented and communicated through imagery that aids in attributing meaning.
She recently completed a practice-led PhD at the University of Leeds, where her research focused on creating a new body of work using the archive of raw images from the Cassini space mission. This project explored the similarities and differences between traditional drawing techniques and new technologies.
Fraga’s work is held in private and public collections across the UK and Europe. In 2021, she was featured in the book “Vitamin D3: Today’s Best Contemporary Drawing,” published by Phaidon.
Her work is represented by Espacio Alexandra in Spain and The Art Court in the UK.
Graphite dust on paper and Cassini raw images on paper
85 x 120cm each
£4,000 (both)
Saturn and Melancholy 2022
To Fix the Memory in Image 2019
Pencil on paper encased in lenses
12 x 12 x 8cm
£100
Turntable Collage-Drawings
2021
Ink on paper, three sheets of A6 each, tape, display box
20 x 20 x 20 cm (box)
£60
Specimens I
2018
Graphite on paper
70 x 100cm
£1,250 each
III 2018
Graphite on paper
70 x 100cm
£1,250 each
Specimens
Turntable Collage-Drawings (minis)
2021
Ink on paper in black display-case
5 x 5cm (drawing 3.5 x 3.5cm)
£50 each
Minutia Grandis 2023
Ink on paper in acrylic box 15 x 15 x 15cm
£300
Turntable Collage-Drawings
2021
Ink on paper, tape, mounted on card 21 x 21 cm
£75
Study for Saturnian 2024
Ink on paper, tape, doublesided frame
22 x 32cm
£300
Photoprint on aluminium in box-frame
40 x 50cm
£450 (edition of 3 + 1 a/p)
Saturn Head 2021
Life Size Mars (Book-Rock)
Life Size Mars (Rice-Sized Nodules)
Life Size Mars (Smooth Stones)
Life Size Mars (Loose Spherules)
Life Size Mars (Gravel)
2024
40
£500 each (framed)
Life Size Mars
Pencil on paper
x 40cm
In Saturn’s Shadow 2020
Pencil on paper
60 x 42cm
£600
2016
Pencil on paper
60 x 42cm
£600
Orrery
Graphite on paper
70 x 100cm
£1,250 each
Specimens II 2018
Incognito 1
2019
Archival pigment print on Hahnemuhle photo rag
Signed edition of 3 + 1 a/p + 1 exhibition copy
42 x 59.4cm | 16.5 x 23.5in
£350 (unframed)
Framing available on request
Incognito 2
2019
Archival pigment print on Hahnemuhle photo rag
Signed edition of 3 + 1 a/p + 1 exhibition copy
42 x 59.4cm | 16.5 x 23.5in
£350 (unframed)
Framing available on request
Incognito 3
2019
Archival pigment print on Hahnemuhle photo rag
Signed edition of 3 + 1 a/p + 1 exhibition copy
42 x 59.4cm | 16.5 x 23.5in
£350 (unframed)
Framing available on request
Incognito 4 2019
Archival pigment print on Hahnemuhle photo rag
Signed edition of 3 + 1 a/p + 1 exhibition copy
42 x 59.4cm | 16.5 x 23.5in
£350 (unframed)
Framing available on request
Incognito 5
2019
Archival pigment print on Hahnemuhle photo rag
Signed edition of 3 + 1 a/p + 1 exhibition copy
42 x 59.4cm | 16.5 x 23.5in
£350 (unframed)
Framing available on request
Incognito 6
2019
Archival pigment print on Hahnemuhle photo rag
Signed edition of 3 + 1 a/p + 1 exhibition copy
42 x 59.4cm | 16.5 x 23.5in
£350 (unframed)
Framing available on request
Incognito 7
2019
Archival pigment print on Hahnemuhle photo rag
Signed edition of 3 + 1 a/p + 1 exhibition copy
42 x 59.4cm | 16.5 x 23.5in
£350 (unframed)
Framing available on request
Incognito 8 2019
Archival pigment print on Hahnemuhle photo rag
Signed edition of 3 + 1 a/p + 1 exhibition copy
42 x 59.4cm | 16.5 x 23.5in
£350 (unframed)
Framing available on request
The exhibition is also available to view in person at Eye Room.
OPENING TIMES
Mon - Fri, 10am - 6pm Sat 10am - 5pm All welcome
Eye Room, 9 Mill Hill, Leeds LS1 5DQ
If you would like further information about any of the artworks or our personal art shopping service our contact details are below and we would be delighted to assist you.
+44 (0)77 8618 1968
Images by Hondartza Fraga and Lucy Forrester.