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May 06

Modern history to make up new Grundy exhibit

The Grundy’s new exhibition will look at how the world has changed over the last 45 years. Modern History, Vol. 1, will run until Saturday 13 June,

By taking the theme of ‘Modern History’ the exhibition offers perspectives on cultural, social, and political change, from artists across different generations, with works reflecting on local and global issues, largely post 1969 to present day.

Exploring subjects as diverse as cinema, global communications and surveillance, warfare, football and leisure, and histories of counter-cultural production, works are presented in a range of media including drawing, film, painting, photography, sculpture, and sound.

The group exhibition features new commissions and existing works by leading national and international contemporary artists based in the North West, and giving opportunities to younger artists to exhibit alongside more established names.

It is guest curated by internationally respected curator Lynda Morris, who founded and curated the highly regarded EASTinternational which ran in Norwich from 1991 to 2009, and also Picasso: Peace and Freedom exhibition at Tate Liverpool in 2010.

Lynda Morris said: “I know from curating EASTinternational that the North West has some of the best artists working in Europe today. It is still possible to be an artist who is a moral force in modern history, if you make work about the life of the people in Manchester, Liverpool, Preston, Birkenhead or Cumbria.”

Richard Parry, Curator, Grundy Art Gallery, Blackpool said: “We are delighted to be working with a curator of the world renown of Lynda Morris, who has been so involved in some of the century’s most important art exhibitions, and has acted for so long as a champion for artists working outside of the commercial centres of London and New York.”

Artists involved are David Alker, Pavel Büchler, Clara Casian, Alan Dunn, The Exhibition Centre for the Life & Use of Books (Robert Carter, Daniel Fogarty, and Lauren Velvick) Mishka Henner, David Jacques, Tabitha Jussa, Rosalind Nashashibi and Lucy Skaer, Joe Fletcher Orr, David Osbaldeston, Susan Walsh, Gary Wiggins and Jen Wu.

Modern History, Vol. 1 is the first of three exhibitions which aim to promote the work of contemporary artists living and working in the North West. The other exhibitions will take place at The Atkinson, Southport (18 August – 8 November) and Bury Art Museum (19 September – 21 November). The exhibitions will be accompanied by a programme of artist / curator talks and screening events.