![](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/663a2026ae2ce367e775af4c/b49bc71a-2afc-4e2e-9e5c-b7448ad55087/Untitled+design+%287%29.png)
PAST EXHIBITIONS
REDCAR 500 PHOTO EXHIBITION
Artist: Icarus Wilson-Wright
ABOUT THE PROJECT
This exciting exhibition was co-created with 500 people in Redcar and the surrounding area. We invited individuals to choose and submit a photo from their phone that held personal significance. These cherished photos were then printed, mounted, and displayed in the gallery, creating an exhibition that tells a captivating slice of our lives.
TO THE SEA
ARTIST: HARRIET MEE
This exhibition was a profound journey through Harriet's artistic lens, juxtaposing the sea of her recollection with the present reality. Harriet immersed audiences through her captivating oil paintings that breathed life into the figures and landscapes by the sea. Her seascapes evoked a sense of nostalgia and wonder, while the mixed-media embroidery pieces added a touch of textural intrigue and a deeper layer of storytelling.
08- 11 May 2024
Residency Art Exhibition
Color grading + retouching
Vibrant display of mixed media art work.
Meet the artist and exhibition closing event
KIRILL SOKOLOV LATER WORK
About the Artist by Dicky Sokolov
Kirill Sokolov (1930 - 2004)
Born in Moscow 13 years after the revolution and 11 years before Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union, Kirill had a complex childhood, unsparingly recorded in his memoir “The Return”.
He was educated at the Moscow Special School for Art and went on to study at the Surikov Institute’s faculty of graphic art. Kirill graduated with the accolade “best diploma work” for his illustrations to Elsa Triolet’s “Le rendez-vous des etrangers”, haunting Parisian street scenes conjured from films and antiquated photographs. A set of the diploma linocuts is in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France.
After graduation Kirill established a reputation as a graphic artist. By 1974, he was working in his own studio which allowed him to experiment in oil painting and uncommissioned illustrations to literary works of his own choice as well as continuing to work as a published illustrator of books and journals. Many of the uncommisioned works on literary themes are now in museums commemorating the writer or poet Kirill had taken inspiration from.
On moving to England in 1974 Kirill continued to illustrate and design books, perhaps most notably wax crayon drawings to Andrei Platonov’s “The Foundation Pit”. He made two series of covers for the literary magazine “Stand”. He illustrated the poems of Jon Silkin and David Burnett, and his portrait of David Burnett is now in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. His fascination with theatre and music produced series of images based on Goethe’s Faust and Hamlet and the stage set for Jon Silkin’s play Black Notes. For the premier of John Taverner’s “Resurrection” he painted an icon which stood in Glasgow Cathedral.
Kirill never had a constant agent or regular gallery in his lifetime. After his death Henry Dyson took on those roles and many of Kirills works were sold as a result of Henry’s inspired curating of exhibitions in Durham, Edinburgh and at his own gallery in Denmark. The beautiful blue booklet was originally made by Henry and is available here today.
Kirill “Later Works”, show a man completely immersed in art, inspired by the landscapes and townscapes of the United Kingdom, particularly the North York Moors the Scottish Highlands and of Europe, especially Greece.
Taken out of his native environment he learnt to internalise the work of other artists past and present and develop dialog with them through his work. To grasp the alien world around him he made sculptures and learnt methods of working in bronze and fiberglass. New printing techniques including silkscreen were learnt at the Charlotte Press in Newcastle. Collages using found objects and graffiti copied from walls grounded his work in time and place. Kirill was fascinated with children’s art and primitive art aiming to perceive his subjects through “the eye of the first beholder” rather than that of a trained professional.
His main influences in English art were, he said, “pub signs”, Henry Moore and Elizabethan portraits.
Exhibition was opened from 14 Oct - 25 Nov. 2023
REDCAR SUMMER EXHIBITION:
7 Jul - 26 Aug 2023
This was an exciting inaugural summer exhibition in Redcar. It presented and celebrated a wide range of works from across the country and beyond.
Exhibition was opened from 7 July - 26 August 2023
Gallery Opening Exhibition
14 Oct-26 Nov 2023
What warm and incredible support the gallery has received from many Redcar born artists. They have helped with all the pre-refurb work and shaping the place to be an intersection point for artists and for raising and listening to our voices about changes or simply expressing our appreciation.
This gallery opening exhibition was a celebration of such artists. Although their work is shown nationally or internationally well beyond the region, they have a deep affection for Redcar and love to share this with the community. The works were diverse, yet they were connected visibly or invisibly by the influence of the North Sea and the surrounding environment.
The gallery was also delighted to exhibit some works by Sir Thomas Allen, an internationally renowned opera singer and the immediate past Chancellor of Durham University who was born in the North East region, by the North Sea. We deeply appreciate his participation and encouragement to our gallery opening and it’s exhibition.
ARTIST CURATED SHORT EXHIBITIONS
No.1 SPEECH(LESS)
by Pomidor (Polina and Maria)
No.2
SUN SEA SKY SAND
by Lois Palframan
No.3
ROTATION
by Jo Forbes
Pomidor collective was formed by Polina and Maria in Moscow, Russia, in 2018. The artists bonded over their cynical attitude towards politics and their analytical to the research of socio-political issues. Coining the term ‘soft politics’ to describe their work, Pomidor continues to investigate relations between an individual, a state and a wider social context.
The starting point for developing SPEECH(LESS) was the rapidly changing socio-political landscape in Russia. After the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, there was a dramatic change in legislation that significantly restricted freedom of speech in the country. Several laws were introduced that banned the use of words ‘war’, ‘invasion’ and ‘attack’ in relation to the conflict in Ukraine, and criminalized any critique of the Russian army, the state government and the president. Many Russians, especially those based in larger cities, were used to the freedom of expression: despite occasional repressions of opposition leaders, ordinary people and even liberal media had no restrictions on expressing their views. However, within a few months, people found themselves in a country where any passerby could submit a denunciation for the use of the word ‘war’, or even ‘peace’, leading to years of imprisonment. Having left Russia at the end of 2022, Pomidor collective aims to exercise the power of the freedom of speech.
8 -23 December 2023 & 7-31 January 2024
This short exhibition showcased the work of gallery's residency artist, Lois Palframan. She used found mediums from her environment for her drawings that are often natural materials. For this exhibition, she used algae, stone, sand, wood, seaweed, sea coal dust found on Redcar beach and ice cream. Her work is small and modest, but it takes you to a quiet place where time passes at a much slower pace.
13 (Wed) - 16 (Sat) Dec 2023
Jo is a Redcar based artist who is interested in the changing local landscape. Her work is a reaction to the gigantic wind turbines currently under construction in the North Sea off the coast of Redcar.
7 (Sun) -10 (Wed) Jan 2024
No.4
WHERE DO YOU GO TO DREAM?
by Caroline Brown
No.5
LINING UP
by Jane Walker
Caroline is a Saltburn based artist. The art work within the exhibition 'Where Do You Go To Dream' aims to illuminate the importance of daydreams and reveries. The artist explains that, "Painting is where I go to dream. Dark forests, fleeting glimpses of a deer or a lone horse, dreams of escaping to a circus or finding an abandoned house, they are all a sanctuary from the harsh realities, chaos and crazy pace of the modern world. Getting lost in colours or nature, or in the deep blue of daydreams, and offering a place to pause and reflect before returning to daily life."
12 - 17 January 2024
No.6
Short to the Eye long in the mind
by Ruth Heaton
This exhibition shows Jane's artistic journey covering from her colourful to the most recent white paintings. The direction she would take to the further is on the viewers contemplation. She is interest in lines because of their clarity and different energy and tension in each line. She also embraces Chance and spontaneous responses to each mark or angle to create a flow and link which is like an internal dialogue of the artist.
19 - 24 January 2024
Meet the Artist and Drinks: 20 Jan (Sat) 1-4pm
Ruth works across painting, sculpture and installation to interpret and explore the natural and human made landscape though chromatic and spatial abstractions. Complex repetitions of form and colour are the foundations of my making informed not only by individual experiences but also by the natural world, architecture, and mapping of the land.
26 January - 2 February 2024
SHOWCASE OF LOCAL TALENTS: FEATURED ARTISTS
Simon Edwards
A Redcar native Simon grew up in the town and has always lived/worked in and around the local area. As an artist he understands that his motivation and inspiration comes from a number of varied things including a lot of marine based passions - diving, fishing and sea kayaking and more recently free diving for crabs and lobsters, many of these would take him to the South Gare and the industrial skyline which like many locals, has had a strong bearing on him.He is passionate about and very much inspired by all things sea sand and beach and this dovetails well with his recent venture, co-owner of Redcar’s seafront gallery shop ‘Art on the Front’ where he’ll often be found painting.
His latest work is entirely influenced by the recent devastation wreaked upon local marine life and in particular crustaceans. An intent to maintain public awareness in and around the issue, ensuring that it’s kept it in the public domain, dictated his bold eye catching block coloured backgrounds.The use of oil as a medium was chosen for its vibrant qualities.The final introspection certainly delivers a distinct and contemporary vibe..
Lucy Storrs
Lucy's work is a playful emotional response to the landscapes that she inhabits and take inspiration from. She is very interested in the immensity and fragility of the natural world and our participation in it, she often includes little figures in her work as a reminder of this.
Her use of wool as a medium coincides with growing up on a Dartmoor hill sheep farm but she choose it also because it is a unique medium like no other. Wool has a wonderful vibrancy, texture and warmth and gives a feeling of depth to the pictures. She also takes a lot of inspiration from paint and mark making in her work.
Redcar and the surrounding landscape have rapidly become a place that she can call home. Its expansive skies, beaches and moorland echos her early wild roaming years on Dartmoor and since she moved up to the area just before lockdown, she says this area makes her exceedingly happy. With a studio on the Redcar seafront that over looks the beach and crashing waves, it is the perfect place to create work from.
Her work is found in private collections around the world from the United States and Europe to Asia and Australasia..
Lawrie Hutcheon
ALawrie Hutcheon was raised in Redcar where he spent much of his youth on the beach. In 2020, he decided to move back to his hometown to live and work, his studio now overlooks the beach, his journey has gone full circle..
Lawrie changed creative direction after a thirty-year interest in ceramics he moved away from three dimensional, monochromatic work and now produces beautiful and mesmerising artworks which fully embrace colour.
The colours in his work constantly shift in form and hue as you move past them - they are impossible to ignore and infinite in their variation. It questions our relationships with time, space and scale that stimulates emotion and thought.
Lawrie is interested in abstract representation of the metaphysical… in particular time, space and scale. He has an interest in cognitive neuroscience which he uses to better understand how the eye processes information and how the brain makes sense of it. This inspires him to create art and techniques inspired by our environment.
Icarus Wilson-Wright
Having spent his early years in Richmond, In 1973 Icarus swapped the trees and rivers of Swaledale for the big skied beaches of Redcar .
Growing up in Coatham, the contrast between the fierce industry on the Tees skyline with Redcar’s ever changing seascape made huge impression on Icarus
Now based in his Manchester studio, Icarus regularly returns to the space-age moonscape of Teeside.
Working mostly in black and white (with occasional use of tone), Icarus’s current work focus on natural abstraction; these pieces predominately feature trees, as well as some of the flora found on Redcar’s shores.
His practice also incorporates installation, projection mapping and set design.
Greg Marshall
Greg now lives and works as a graphic designer, photographer and electronic music creator in Darlington since 1992.
He grew up in Redcar and despite leaving for university in 1978, living in London and The Midlands, he has continued to be drawn back to Redcar, the raw power and beauty of the North Sea, The South Gare, the countryside and an industrial (past and present) Teesside landscape.
Greg’s ‘DH-DL-TS Impressions’ soundtracks were developed from an initial request to provide the Teesdale based artist Graham Vasey, with atmospheric soundbeds for his analog films “Blast Beach, ‘The Black Path’. Drawing on the Teesside landscape and industry as inspiration, Greg’s tracks were mostly improvised in a single ‘take’, with a single synthesiser and effects unit, with minimal post-production mastering.
Miria Miria
Miria Miria moved to Redcar in the middle of Covid. Through her colourful images, she shares her moment of noticing the unnoticed. By focusing on things we do not notice, she questions our value and furthermore, challenges capitalist ideology. Her media varies to best suit the work. For this exhibition, she painted her encounter with a man on the Redcar beach during the lockdown. He has been picking up rubbish unnoticed over for 10 years. Her other work on display is from the 'Shine again' series. These are assemblages using forgotten plastic objects.
Thomas Allen (Sir) Guest artist
Internationally renowned Opera singer, Sir Thomas Allen's talent does not stop there. He has been long interested in fine art especially drawing and painting as well as photography all of which are part of his everyday life. He observes our environment and people through his unique standpoint and express this using his sense of humour and kindness. We are fortunate to show some of his private works at the opening exhibition.
OTHER ARTISTS WHO'S WORKS ARE SHOWN IN THE GALLERY
Ross E F Lombardi
Artist
Ross E F Lombardi
Trolling and Trouble making Internet Screen Name
Rat Lombot
.<Singing>
.He’s fat,
He’s round,
His arse drags along the ground
It’s Ross Lombardi!
It’s Ross Lombardi!
.He’s Crusty
He’s Bold
He’s getting kinda old
It’s Ross Lombardi!
It’s Ross Lombardi!
.His favorite bit of latin is
"Mutare Non Est Meum"
But you might rather eat a turd than want to meet e’m
.He’s Cruel,
He’s Sarcastic,
He likes pants that are wasted with elastic
It’s Ross Lombardi!
It’s Ross Lombardi!
He’s Immature
He’s Ugly
He is Sickenly Arrogant and Smugly
It’s Ross Lombardi!
It’s Ross Lombardi!
.He’s just another silly woke disposable justice warrior
But He will die defiantly with two fingers up shouting
"Cantus Moriar!"
He’s a Nut Job
He’s Angry
But he does not take himself too seriously.
It’s Ross Lombardi!
It’s Ross Lombardi!
<End Singing>
WELCOME TO A ROSS LOMBARDI ART SHOW KIDS!
Today’s show is brought to you by the abstract ideals of,
“Freedom”
“Justice”
And the number,“8”
Robin Harker
Robin worked as a farmer all his life. However, photography has been his long interest and talent. He became a celebrated photographer since his retirement. Robin opened his art shop together with Simon in Redcar in 2000. Since, his particular interest is capturing the sceneries they may be ephemeral to the region. .
Bait Face Creative
A pair of street artists appear here and there in the town. They have painted two planters outside the gallery. The message, 'LOVE ART'..
Vanessa Ann Langford
Vanessa has just completed her MFA at
Teesside University. She also has been working in Redcar for a number of years.
She uses drawing, painting and mixed media assemblage to create surreal figurative work. As a community artist using creativity to improve mental health, the focus of her own art practice is the mind and the therapeutic effect of a connection with nature.
Kimberly Wharton
Born and raised on the North York Moors, Kimberly spent much of her childhood and indeed adult life as a keen walker. Immersed in the wild spaces, which are documented in her paintings. Kimberly takes inspiration from the rugged landscapes and coastlines that surround her and can be often found out in all weathers embracing the ever changing topography. Her unique abstract paintings are emotional and captivating..