5 - 23 August 2009

Exhibitions to be opened by Kit Messham-Muir, lecturer in Art History at the University of Newcastle on Thursday 6 August at 6.30pm.

Hideous

Chris Brown - The Loading Zone

I have a keen interest in photographing the ugly side of substance abuse. I'm currently experimenting with billboard scale photography and gritty pixelation.

Haema

Neal Booth - The Loading Dock

'Haema' traces our material and spiritual connection to the earth on which we exist. This exhibition focuses on the maternal nature of our binding to the land through the existence of iron in both our blood and the earth. This discourse unravels endless metaphors that are represented through colour and motifs in my works, the shapes of which materialise in the form of circles, lines and broken geometrical figures that insist on the impermanent and infinite.

The Clockwork Boy

David Hampton - The Long Room

I have always found machines to be fascinating, from the deceptively complex workings of a clockwork toy, to the internal intricacies of a submarine or railway locomotive. Drawing inspiration from blue prints and works drawings, as well as cut away illustrations from boys' engineering magazines I have attempted to explore these intricacies and to celebrate their complexity.

Oh My God and What The Hell

Rose Turner, Jacob Swab, Grant Hunter and Luke Johnston - The Pit

Working across many mediums including illustration, graffiti, painting and design these artists are united by a fascination with the human body - however this is not the body as you know it to be. These works are sure to touch you, maybe in places you didn't ask for.

Transition

Delilah Van Wyk - The Locker Room

My current path takes me along the edges of several issues, including the need to resolve thoughts and emotions arising from the experience of immigration.

Bed

Brock Cherry, Kind Ryan and Stewart Alexander Falconer - The Hoist

This exhibition pays homage to the bed, taking it out of the bedroom and into a gallery context. We spend one-third of our lives in a bed, but have you ever considered it an artistic medium? This exhibition explores the bed as both subject matter and creative medium. The works suggest the idea of bed as a blank canvas, a means of personal mark making, a 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional art form.

J.M.W Turner is not very good

Rose Turner - Media Space

Sharing the namesake of a key male figure in landscape painting has its perks - it also has is soul-crushing qualities. The nine metre oceanic odyssey presented for this exhibition reflects J.M.W Turner's drawings of the European coastline completed before his 21st birthday(corresponding with my own age) in a vain effort to create a historical alliance and a discourse between the two Turner techniques. There is no intention to succeed J.M.W however, losing may be half the point.

Watt Space is funded by the UoN Services Limited and supported by the School of Drama, Fine Art and Music at the University of Newcastle.  All associated images and information copyright © the artists, Watt Space & the University of Newcastle, Australia. Building images © Roger Hanley