Section 25 exhibiton mini review.

The first exhibition you will encounter when walking into the Grundy Art Gallery revolves around the post-punk band, Section 25. With a diverse range of media in such a relatively small space it engages the viewer into the band’s world visually and audibly.


The first thing you’ll notice is the large projection of Section 25 playing live. The scale creates an impact perhaps similar of that at time of filming and keeps the exhibition more accessible for those unfamiliar to their work. It also creates a pleasant change from the usually painful silence of other galleries. One of the other sections is work created by the late Larry Cassidy (Section 25 front man), three collage pieces reminiscent of pop artist Richard Hamilton, they are intriguing and well crafted.

But my personal favourite part is the collection of tour posters, leaflets and record sleeves etc, we can see the change of design fashions of the time and links to the post punk culture alongside the band’s actual evolution and rise through billings. The posters are art works in their own right and include designs by the legendary Peter Saville. I have a keen interest in typography and this is a fascinating mix to enjoy and take inspiration from. Other memorabilia is on show such as drumsticks giving a more tangible, 3D element.

Originating from Blackpool the subject brings relevance to visitors and the local area, shown in one snapshot of them in a recognisable part of the town and copy of a local fanzine. It could also provide inspiration to current artists that it does not matter where you are form you can achieve your goals.

Overall the exhibition is an intriguing eclectic mix, which I recommend for anybody interested in the arts, the band or Blackpool’s addition to culture.

By Katie Lock during work experience at the gallery.

Schools Exhibition at Grundy

Blackpool and Fylde schools will be exhibiting their best artwork at the Grundy Art Gallery from the 28th of Jan to the 3rd March. If your school would like to take part, please let the Grundy know before Christmas!!

As part of this exhibition, schools will also get the opportunity to work with artist, Brigitte Jurack on creating playful objects to form a section of the exhibition.

Schools can get involved in workshops in the gallery space led by the artist, creating artwork around the theme of toys and play. These workshops are suitable for all age groups and the artwork created in the workshops will form part of the exhibition in the gallery. There will be more information on this soon.

Jurack has shown her work all over the UK and Internationally, with recent artist residences at Museum of Modern Art Ireland and the British School in Athens and a solo show at Galleri Format in Olso.
 

I wish to explore how youth as a period of uncertainty and unstable identity is represented through sculpture. My own studio practice has increasingly been drawn towards notions of play and youth, both literally and performatively. Brigitte Jurack

Dark room at Mereside and Unity Primary Schools

Visit to the Grundy Art Gallery's exhibition, Mass Photography: Blackpool through the Camera. The groups studied all the photographs of Blackpool, looking at images from archives and by famous photographers. 

The groups then visited Tony Sharkey in the Local and Family History Centre at the Central Library to see some peculiar images of people and events from Blackpool's past.

The groups then took their black and white film cameras on a walk around Blackpool, taking photographs of Blackpool, using techniques they had spotted in the exhibition.

They quickly learnt the difference between digital photography (which they are used to) and using film cameras with only 24 chances to get that perfect shot!

Photomobile, the travelling photography centre brought the dark room experience to both schools in November and eraly December to develop the photographs taken by the children on their walking tour of Blackpool Promenade.

Jason from Photomobile taught groups about newspaper layouts and using a digital camera. They then created their own page.

David was inside the Photomobile demonstrating how to take a photo from it's negative and develop it as an enlarged photograph. This was the science bit, which got a lot of wows and ooohs. All the children got to help develop a photo and learn all the techniques.

Back in the school the rest of the class were busy using small versions of their photographs to create a newspaper, complete with news stories about Blackpool, weather forecast, sports results, house and cars for sale, births, deaths and marraiges. They are a great read!

These are the contact sheets from a roll of film. The developed photographs will be exhibited in the schools exhibition at the Grundy Art Gallery from the 28th of Jan to the 3rd March. Come and have a look.