Reviews on Inside Out Upside Down Gallery Site
Reviews...School of Arts Gallery October 2009 Exhibitions, Tighes Hill, Newcastle
The SOAG Gallery continues to show that the arts community in Newcastle is alive and well. Every month this excellent venue puts on a new exhibition, or often two. October 2009 is no exception with four exhibiting artists in two separate exhibitions.
This months exhibitions are a solo on the ground floor from Cheryl Cusick and a group exhibition from Marianne Beuzeville, Neil Miley and Mark Sims on the upper level.
There are in these two exhibitions works of art to suite a wide variety of tastes. The quality of the works is high with Cheryl Cusick's track record of prize winning success showing in the finesse of her works, while the works in the other exhibition are more studied and controlled in execution with excellent draftsmanship underpinning each composition.
The opening night was exceptional with the crowd of attendees showing avid interest in both exhibitions. The viewers confirmed their appreciation of the works by purchasing 9 pieces displayed on the night.
Cusick's work focusses on contemporary Newcastle and through energetic execution using an often constrained palette brings to visual life the vitality of a city well known for its' rapid changes.
Marianne Beuzeville's work is less urban, focussing on the coastal fringe from Birubbi to Port Stephens. She uses this environment to live out the challenges of the individual in modern society in which we increasingly wont to or are driven to be independent entities.
Neil Miley's works are socially contemporary but often use historical or mythical contexts to encapsulate their contemplative propositions. The major work Neil presents is a reconstruction of a J.W. Waterhouse painting stolen in 1947 and not seen since.
Mark Sim's work is not representational but blends well with the intensely drafted works of Marianne and Neil. His works are intricate, almost random but clearly driven by a guiding vision and set of aesthetically determined decisions of beginning and end.
Perhaps the strength of these two exhibitions is the way in which such artistically diverse works can be hung and still not jar or become overwhelmingly confusing. The Gallery has done a great curatorial job in hanging the works and the exhibitions are worth a look just for this quality alone.
I confess though that I have a natural preference for seeing exhibitions hung in more than one row at eye height, nothing can be quite so limiting or say so little of the curator when viewing an exhibition. One row is fine for a solo exhibition but to see this in any other exhibition is just dull. SOAG has displayed its' excellent art appreciation skills in the hanging of these exhibitions, with much of the upper level hung up to four deep.
If you get the chance go and see these two exhibitions, entry is free and you are bound to find the work interesting, don't go expecting to see just a single type of art on display. These exhibitions opened on 10 October and close on 1 November 2009.
author: Neil Miley