Following on from the #NTUDEGREESHOW, our next exhibition opens on Thursday this week!
Icons of Rhetoric is a project created by photographer Chris Barrett and writer Gianluca Spezza which gives us a unique look at “the most isolated country in the world”; North Korea. The exhibition includes over 40 images which are crafted from taking still images from North Korean television broadcasts by the country’s state news network. The pair use appropriated images developed on instant film, to comment on how the West uses such images to reinforce its own limited stereotypical views of the country.
“We’re exploring the idea of ‘seeing is believing’ in the digital age” says Barrett. “People’s concerns about human rights in North Korea are perfectly valid and important issues but it’s dangerous for us to entirely base our understanding on a narrow binary image of good and bad often focused on sensationalised information skewed in favour of click bait ridicule or ridiculous hearsay’. It’s true North Korea is a very difficult place to cover but this should not allow for the anything goes #rareglimpse reporting that seems to surround the country”
Take a look at a few photos of the set-up and exhibition below, and stay tuned for more info over the coming weeks. Be sure to follow @IconsofRhetoric on Twitter / Instagram and use #IconsofRhetoric to have your say.
Here is a selection of blog posts form Simon Callery’s recent solo show, Soft Painting
Soft Painting has begun! Come and take a look as the exhibition unfolds between now and the preview on Wednesday 29 April, when the paintings will be completed and on show for further two and a half weeks. Visit the exhibition page for more details.
Simon Callery has now been working in the gallery since Monday, along with a select group of BA (Hons) Fine Art students from here at NTU and Nottingham-based artists.
Here’s a quick recap of the week in photos:
Here are some progress shots from this week, taken by local artist and photographer, Julian Hughes:
Assistants: Yajie Jiang and Joshua Wheeler
For more of Julian’s work, be sure to follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
With just a few days to go until the preview, work on Soft Painting will continue through the weekend. Here’s a recap of the process from this week
From 13 – 29 April, Simon Callery worked in the gallery space with a selected group of Nottingham Trent University BA (Hons) Fine Art students, and a group of Nottingham-based artists to produce three large-scale works. These works will now be on display in the gallery until Friday 15 May. Come and take a look!
Here’s a few photos from last night’s midway preview – thanks to all who came along.
We are delighted to unveil the latest addition to the Nottingham Trent University art collection from artist Simon Callery. Simon joined us in 2015 for his solo exhibition Soft Painting. Wiltshire Modulor (small, 2010-2013) will be on permanent display in Bonington Gallery’s foyer space.
The recent opening of our new exhibitions also marked the un-veiling of the latest addition to the NTU art collection. This joins a host of works and artefacts on display in our foyer that relate to past exhibitions and we’ll be contributing to this selection going forwards.
