Huge variety of public art showcased
Scarborough Art Gallery is hostingthe East Coast Open, with a huge variety of styles and imagery from public submissions.
Until March 12
From dapperly-dressed Toad to a punk pensioner – there is plenty to see at the East Coast Open Exhibition at Scarborough Art Gallery.
The reptile – clutching a bulrush bouquet and wearing suit and cravat – is one of two pieces by Belinda Harwood. Her other showstopper is Rabbit.
The Vivienne Westwoodesque rebel dressed in a black jacket studded with skull and crossbones badges and badly fitting leggings is called Mary and was scultpured by Liz Chesney.
They contrast to the more conventional landscapes, seascapes, portraits and photographs which adorn the upstairs of the gallery in The Crescent.
Curator of the exhibition and volunteers manager for Scarborough Museums Trust Julie Baxter said: “This is a biannual exhibition which encourages local artists, professional and amateur, to submit their work.”
Three judges – Yorkbased artist Mark Hearld, chairman of the Friends of Scarborough Art Gallery Paul McCabe and editor of The Scarborough News Ed Asquith – chose 205 works out of 300 works submitted with each artist able to send in two pieces of work.
Scarborough-based Bernard Dixon took up painting when he retired five years ago. After discarding oils and acrylics he started taking classes with pastel specialist Keith Blessed from Robin Hood’s Bay and his work now shares space on a wall with his mentor.
“This is the first time I have sent in my work and it was accepted straightaway,” he said. “Keith has taught me all I need to know except envisioning pictures – that comes from within.”
One of Julie’s favourite pieces is Beach Life – a quilt/wall hanging by Judith Clarke which is a detailed textile.
Along one wall is Townscape III by GD Shaw. It is two pictures joined together of Westborough in Scarborough and stunningly detailed – from the man in a mobility scooter to the worker in the offices above Skipton Building Society.
The artists are too many to name individually – they include Sue Slack, Sally Gatie, Michael Atkin, Adam King, Joy Lomas, Tom Knight and Ruth Miemcczyk. There is a ceramic owl by Shirley Doyle and a felt sculpture called coral jewels by Elena Panina.
There are poignant reminders of Joy Green who died last year in a car crash. Two of her paintings are displayed and also on show is a monochrome portrait of her by her daughter Tammy.
One of the unusual pieces is Resolution by Jim Wade. He has put 366 images – one for each day of last year of his life in Britain – with a soundtrack of war-torn Syria.
“The piece is dedicated to the UN Refugee Agency the UNHCR,” he said. “The images are thoughts from my everyday life in the UK, what I experienced day by day in 2016 – birthday, Brexit, holidays, Leicester City winning the Premiership and Donald Trump becoming President of the United States.
“Playing along in the background was the refugee crisis, mass migration, indiscriminate bombing of homes, hospitals and schools and deliberate targeting of civilians.
“The Ipad represents the juxtaposition of the two: where these two contrasting realities meet,” he said.
The exhibition runs at Scarborough Art Gallery, The Crescent, until Sunday March 12. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday, daily from 10am to 5pm.