Visual Arts & Exhibitions

I will admit to being rather intrigued by Mathew Jones work when I first saw the posts on social media promoting his exhibition at Shaws Cafe. Over the last few weeks as I have watched the post gain traction, my interest has not waned. The buzz around this artist is thanks to the strong support system from within the creative community, particularly ICAN, but mostly due to his own determination, drive and raw talent. There are not many artists I know of that have secured their own exhibition within the first year of practice and has achieved the level of…

The launch of Mary Jules Brindley’s exhibition, Nature’s Hidden Beauty, at Urban Arts Studio in St Annes was an explosion of colour and joy. Mary’s bright pink hair and green twinkly dress made her a walking work of her own art preempting the rainbow of works that are hung around the walls. Mary Jules Brindley’s works are mainly abstract mixed media, although the playful titles Mary gives to her works give us an insight into what she was inspired by when creating them. Some of my highlights were ‘Toadie’s Day Out’, ‘Thoughts of Mars’, ‘Night Swimming’ and ‘The Trip to…

It was a fantastic turn out for the preview of Abingdon Studios latest and to date, largest group exhibition. Arriving a few moments early so I could get a quick word with some of the artists, I found the evening already in full swing. This was an event that the local art community were clearly very excited about, this is not really a surprise when you consider that the list of exhibiting artists reads like the who’s who of contemporary practitioners on the Fylde coast. "Something or Nothing" showcases not only the diverse skills and talents of the eight artists…

The Grundy recently launched its new trio of exhibitions.  Given their distinctly seaside theme it was appropriate to make my way there on a sunny half term Thursday with the town feeling vibrant. Following the friendly welcome and a copy of the spring brochure at gallery reception first up was The Way Things Are by Roy Voss.  This poplar wood construction stretches through the Grundy’s two ground-floor gallery spaces.  It's a little disconcerting to pass notices advising caution to avoid the work falling over, but hopefully that's a remote risk!  Personally I'm a sucker for anything the gallery does that…

Something or Nothing is the largest group exhibition installed at Abingdon Studios to date, with eighteen artists working nationally and at varying stages in their careers being invited by each studio member. Although diverse in its make-up, the show brings together common traits through small, bitesized, miniature works–things which may simply be small, parts of larger constructions, or speculative utterances of things to come. Working practices, on occasion, may necessitate smallness, given limitations on space or transportability; smallness may make a quiet stand against the grandiose or the overstated; or perhaps the small invites closeness. Small works may not command…

Abingdon Studios has been showcasing some of the best and brightest artists working not only in Blackpool, but all of the UK and around world since it opened, bringing to the town an array of diverse exhibitions and events within this artist led space. Recently the Studios Directing Founder, Garth Gratrix, invited Alan Baker, who has currently had work in an exhibition in South Korea, to show a selection of pencil drawings from his ongoing series, “Trap and Snare”. I went down to the preview to get a sneaky look before the exhibition opened to the public and see if…

“I was sick of being sick of it,” explains Jonathan Sisson, the filmmaker-turned-photographer behind a collection of shots of Lancashire displayed at Urban Arts Studio in St Annes. Born and raised in Lytham, he aims with these photos to challenge the familiarity – perhaps tedium – of the county’s landscapes. The lovely, diffident Jonathan, fortuitously braving the Beast from the East to have a fag outside, introduced himself to us as we entered the exhibition’s opening night. He explained that he tries to show the otherworldly in the everyday. The collection has an eerie, extraterrestrial thread, which is especially evident…