(Above) "Alternative ceramics show" Fired Up is one of three new exhibitions at Gallery Oldham this month
Exhibition: Digitalis, Gallery Oldham, Oldham, July 31 – September 19 2010
"I like to surprise people with what they already know and inject a little sunshine into the world," professes Harriet McDougall, a young artist in this show who says her upbringing in the "rural backwaters" of Norfolk made her "adept at generating my own entertainment" with pencils and paper.
"I like anything old and dusty, anything that comes close to magic or anything that can make me believe in magic."
John Rimmer's Manhattan is part of Digitalis. Image ©
the artist
McDougall's ethic is a perfect match for Digitalis. Defined by the organisers as "finger-like", a reference to the manual skills and crafts of the traditional painter, the exploratory exhibition contemplates the possibilities technology lends to traditional disciplines.
Rather than featuring artists primarily concerned with the digital age, the cast enlisted have all adapted their practice to embrace the field – David Manley, Rick Copsey and John Rimmer are all experienced hands who have merged their own brilliance as painters with an open-minded approach to geek chic, using it to augment their portraits of people and places.
Rick Copsey, Untitled.
Image © the artist
The opening acts as a launch for two other shows – Fired Up, an "alternative ceramics show" featuring dozens of political pots covering everything from the Middle East conflict to the parliamentary expenses scandal in the UK, and Transition, Jane Fairhurst's darkly amusing take on children's toy boxes which turns innocent teddies into decidedly more sinister mixed media sculptures.
Fired Up runs until November 14 2010; Transition until September 5.
Transition lunchtime talk with Jane Fairhurst takes place on August 11, 1pm.
Digitalis lunchtime talk with John Rimmer takes place on September 15, 1pm.
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