Limbo Opens at Sanctuary Artspace
It is always so exciting when a piece of your work is available for the first time, whether to be read, performed or in the case of my latest work with photographer Francesca Dent, viewed as an exhibition. It is also extremely nerve wracking! You don’t know how it will be received or even look until the day arrives to put it on the wall and invite people in.
Our first venue is the Sanctuary Artspace in the exquisite 13th century St Edmund’s Chapel, a working church on High Street, Gateshead. I wonder how anyone could have been so crass as to build all the 1960s concrete around it.
Then I consider – perhaps this is the very place that it’s meant to be.
As the exhibits go on the wall (thanks to the help of Francesca’s Dad with his hammer!), it’s looking good. A mixture of striking photo montages, word associations, short verse and 6 flash fictions based on Francesca’s photos of items we found on our Saturday morning recce CLICK HERE TO READ.
The stories are as much about what I have left out as what I have included. I intend them to be about what the image suggests and allow people to make their own interpretation. They are also about the imagined voices of those who have passed through Blaydon Burn.
The opening evening arrives and I am very glad (and very relieved) to say that the response was most favourable. The stories had got people thinking and some even reflected upon their own childhood through them. There were quite a few reminiscences about Blaydon Burn.
It was great to work with some extremely supportive people during the process of setting up the exhibition: Francesca, of course who not only collaborated creatively but who also organised the layout and the printing. I’d also like to give a special thanks to Reverend Jim Craig, Chaplain of Arts for Gateshead and Lorna Bryan, the Gallery Assistant for all their help and guidance.
We even got a couple of crates of the excellent ‘Tyne 9’ Black Cask Lager donated for our opening event by Firebrick Brewery who are based in Blaydon and named after the world famous bricks. Thanks – that was much appreciated!
Limbo exhibition runs at Sanctuary Artspace, St Edmund’s Church, High Street, Gateshead. NE8 1EP until Thursday 27th August, open Monday to Thursdays 12 -4pm.
To find out more about the Limbo collaborative exhibition on Blaydon Burn CLICK HERE
