Hampden Gallery is pleased to present Scatterlings, an exhibition of drawings and sculpture by Boston-based South African artist Paul Stopforth. In Scatterlings, Stopforth presents work influenced by living in South Africa during the 70's and 80's. The work confronts the apartheid regime with aspects of its criminality. The exhibit includes current work created in the U.S. which reflects Stopforth's concerns with the meaning and interpretation of essential gestures. Stopforth's images and objects have always engaged with the human body as a vehicle of expression. The richness and complexity of the body has led him to explore a range of propositions and materials which include assemblage, drawing, painting, and polychrome relief sculpture.

Stopforth's small figurative sculptures on pedestals of varying heights are a distillation of his practice as an artist. The implied narratives which exist when the figures are installed as a group are sufficiently ambiguous to open up areas of thinking, feeling and interpretation. At the same time each figure is sufficiently self-contained to remain potent when seen in isolation.

Scatterlings will be on exhibit September 11 through October 5. An opening reception will be held Sunday, September 17 from 2 to 5pm. A gallery talk will be held Wednesday, September 20 at 5pm.