19 — 30 November Private View - 20 November 18:00 — 20:00 Open daily 11:00 — 15:00 Closed Sundays. Free admission. The paintings, prints and objects in this exhibition have been made over a two-year period between the start of 2023 and now. Subjects that keep appearing (though not really in a figurative sense) include ghosts, clowns, tools, geometry and gemstones, all of which become entangled in an overblown fairground aesthetic. I’m not suggesting that there is some magical force at play here, simply that these subjects occupy my thoughts. There is a graphic quality to the paintings, which borrow substantially from my long association with screenprint. The paintings are characterised by a simple stencilling technique, resulting in sharp edges and occasional bleeds, bridges between floating areas, layering of translucent form, and economic use of colour and tone. But the decorative elements are a veneer under which there is a struggle, a feverish and encrypted portrayal of psychological, social and political subjects – a pile up. Perhaps the titles help to decipher the imagery – Dumbbell and Gem, Strongman, First Aid, but even here I think there is a veil, a code, an aberration. I like using German words because they seem direct and to the point. I have become attracted to misspellings such as ‘kloun’ in place of ‘clown’, because such words evoke advertising techniques, deception or error. I am drawn to words that jump out as shapes and defy exact definition. Titles are important and sometimes text becomes the imagery. When I was an art student in the early eighties, my subject matter came from the eroded posters and billboards around Manchester. These random fragments of image and text broadcast an alternative and surreal urban narrative. I was also lured by the post-punk scene and the graphic design of record labels such as Rough Trade, Stiff, and Factory. I think the potency of Punk and Post-Punk resided in buffoonery, borrowing as much from DaDa as it did from the Situationists. The futility, pointlessness and clowning enhanced the visceral messages of dissent. These historic references surface in Pile Up and align with contemporary associations. There is humour in this exhibition. The works shown are imbued with visual trickery, sensual sorcery, goofy cartoonery, but also a sense of sadness and malevolence. Outside of art I do what I can to address what I perceive as the toxic and destructive force of humankind. In earlier work I have been explicit about socio-political issues. But this body of work is indirect, more like the incidental surrealism of those Mancunian walls from the eighties.

Wednesday, 6 November 2024 19:00 - 21:00 Blake Studio, Norwich School  On Wednesday 6 November, Artists and educators Peter and Jon will discuss the multidisciplinary nature of animation, an artform (not a genre) that can host a range of mediums and crafts in order to explore and reflect the world we live in and dream of better futures. Peter Martin worked as Course Leader for the BA Animation course at Norwich University of the Arts and before that as Course Leader for the BA Visual Studies Course. Peter is also a practising sculptor and has worked in theatre, film and tv production. Jon is an award winning filmmaker and Course Leader for BA Animation and VFX courses at Norwich University of The Arts. His work spans many genres from comedy, to poetry driven films, horror, fantasy, with his latest a satirical examination of AI art tools, winning a British Animation Award, 2024. £5 for ncas members £8 for non members Free for students No need to book. Simply turn up.

23 L6 DofE Gold participants, in 4 groups, undertook their qualifying expedition at the start of half-term. They travelled up on Sunday and arrived in fine weather. A storm passed over further North overnight, so tents were shaking a bit but all were still in the right places in the morning. They set off on a damp Monday but no heavier rain than drizzle. The first day is always the worst, having to get use to the rucksacks and navigating, but all groups did well and arrived at their next campsites in good spirits. Tuesday and Wednesday saw improving weather, first cloud then more sunshine. The Yorkshire Dales scenes change under the different lighting, from dour, dark walls and shadows to shining grey walls and green grass. The expedition took place around Grassington, Darrowby in All Creatures Great and Small, and their routes took them past some farms and fields used in the filming. Wednesday night soon arrived and most groups had planned the best meal for that night. The sun shone till dusk, when the temperature dropped. They set off at 7am on Thursday morning, having to navigate by head-torches to start with. They arrived at the end point delighted to have finished but also proud of themselves and the groups. Tents were put up to dry in the sun and equipment cleaned, checked and handed in. Their DofE assessor debriefed each group, all of whom passed. The coach left on time, soon to stop at a service station for all to enjoy a meal of 'fast food'! Well done to all participants. A big thank you must go to the staff who helped with the expedition; without them giving up their time, these expedition would not be possible.