PP&LM – Pease, Butler & Spence

Jan 31st – Mar 25th 2024

An exhibition about Darlington, a township, its people, the sense of belonging, then and now

Crown Street Gallery Darlington Central Library Crown Street, Darlington

Place,
People &
Living Memory

This story takes its lead from an artwork at the National Portrait Gallery, London, titled: ’The World Anti-Slavery Convention 1840’, made by the history painter and diarist Benjamin Robert Haydon. The inclusion of Elizabeth Pease in the delegates depicted encourages further consideration of the central role of her advocacy for abolitionism. Born (1807) into a Quaker family of wool merchants in Darlington, the entitlements and civic values of her time permeate the eloquence of her Suffragist identity and her tireless campaigning for female emancipation. This exhibition unpicks a few threads from the storehouse of this history to trace the slow turn of change and reformation in human affairs then and since.

Place, people and living memory is a contemporary storehouse of ideas depicted in painting, photography, film and audio visual arts in the mode of an installation with the intent to show rather than tell. The work to be done with this exhibition, in part, is to reveal the lived experience of collision between privilege and oppression. The installation incorporates: a photo-essay; current practice in painting; digital projection; audio visual work and performance events. Sequentially the show will be the third public exhibition event curated by arts

practitioners based in Stockton-on-Tees and Darlington, following on from the October 2017 group show titled ‘Conversations in Painting: if it fits in the Fiesta you’re in…’ and subsequently, in October 2019, the solo show of painting titled ‘No In-between’ by Christian Mieves. It is noteworthy that the concerns of Place, people and memory were prefigured by these artists in a site specific installation titled ‘White Noise’ in January 2001 at Circulation Recording Studios in Darlington, in Lingfield Point.

The exhibition strives to avoid the entirety of joys and sorrows from yesteryear. To achieve this the artefacts on show serve to explore the shifting status of civic pride, the autonomy of this township and figure its identity through the commonality of a family album. The exhibition finale at Crown Street Gallery welcomes the opportunity to celebrate the endowment of this free public library gifted by Edward Pease in 1884. Moreover, it is striking that the interests of visitors and guests attending the previous exhibitions noted above aptly demonstrate a keen and invested interest in Darlington’s transformational social and industrial heritage.

Phil Gatenby
Curator, 2024

A photographic diary with notes from the opening event of Place, People & Living Memory

Visitors all set with exhibition info in hand on Thursday 8th February 2024 at the preview of the ‘Place, People & Living Memory’ exhibition. A hosted event with guest speakers alongside commissioned artists in situ.

Listening and looking is the thing…

On entry, image top, a tall red wall with a 42″ high resolution OLED TV screening a ‘slow scroll’ photo essay page by page. Image bottom, far wall, detail of mid 1800s typographic poster and a portrait drawing of Elizabeth Pease from the Darlington Borough collection.

Installing the exhibition carries the intent to track a collective spirit empowering social transformation via radical non-resistance and current visual arts practice. In this instance, image top: Nicky Peacock (ribbons and bows), Pip Dickens (painting, girl with red bow), Jo Spence (performance based photo work, self portrait dressed in red) and Alicia Paz (black and white photo/light work, shadows and lace nets). Emotional resonance is thereby in the mix. Image bottom, visitors give close attention to the Grey family lineage, their politically and socially transformative legacy, grounded in Northumbria 1700s to the present day, photo essay panels presented on a teasingly apt red wall…an unfolding theme.

The audience gets together, busy, busy. Lots to see, new things to discover and ever more to share and chat about. Image top, Elizabeth Pease b/w portrait situated in the background, upper white wall, returning the gaze of the crowd. Image bottom, large format portrait photograph made by Ikuko Tsuchiya: figuring the burden of others – public health and well being to thread a lineage of care, compassion and social justice conferred in the Elizabeth Pease portrait.

The exhibition presents a range of visual media: image top, screen-printing, video/film on a red wall and photography. Image bottom, historical/current newspaper archive and photo-essay panel.

The rolling time line 1989-2024, image top, an opportunity for visitors/guests to mirror their own present day memory into the lived experience on display throughout the installation. Image bottom, conversation guided by close attention to figurative sculpture in situ.

TV video/animation screenings showcase exhibition specific concepts and ideas via time based media,
an audience experience/expectation rooted in the here and now.

Image top, snap shot of screen three, an AV film work made by Dave Allinson displayed across three OLED TV screens. This work includes an original piano/voice sound score, delivering a carefully curated ambient mood into the exhibition space. Image bottom, visitors and guests share a story framed by AV screen one.

Gallery shots, far wall, black and white wall mounted silhouette pieces made by Nicky Peacock, two framed photo-works by Karen Melvin, and large scale painting by Alicia Paz.

Gallery shots, listening, looking and chatting in situ.

Gallery shots, image top, curator and guest speaker welcome, opening remarks: Phil Gatenby, centre, with Chris Lloyd be-spectacled – journalist with Northern Echo in background. Image bottom, Alec Gatenby, centre, conversation with guest/visitor guided by close attention to film work titled ‘Protest’.

Bridie Jackson "Immersive voice centred work that I refer to as Docusongs"

The first element of the exhibition that we highlighted was the Docusong work by Bridie Jackson. This piece, created in collaboration with Josephine Butler College, explored the key themes, achievements, and questions raised by the life and work of Victorian social reformer Josephine Butler, reflected upon through a contemporary lens.

For the piece, Jackson interviewed a diverse range of voices from the College community, including visiting lecturers, College leaders, students, and trustees, about the significance of their namesake, reflecting on her incredible legacy and its impact on both the College and wider society. She then composed and recorded original music inspired by themes within the interviews, interspersed with soundscapes and new arrangements of historical songs within the public domain, to create a sonic framework for the interviews and stories.

Bridie Jackson is a composer, producer and sound artist based in the North East of England. She creates immersive, voice centred work that she refers to as docusongs, where she aims to uncover and examine unheard or underheard stories through combining different sound elements including original music, recorded interviews and archive footage. Her most recent piece, ‘Bees, Bees, Hark to Your Bees’ about ancient traditions of bee keeping, was exhibited at Woodhorn Museums as part of the exhibition series, A Northumberland Menagerie, by visual artist Bethan Maddocks, commissioned by Museums Northumberland.

Jackson also composes and produces bespoke musical scores for theatre and dance productions. Recent credits include ‘The Little Prince’ for The Customs House, the touring contemporary dance piece, ‘Jumpers for Goalposts’ for Meta4 Dance and Changing Relations ‘A is for Amy’.

Throughout the duration of the exhibition a series of artist led talks took place, free for the public to attend, providing a closer insight into elements of the show that may not at first have been so obvious.

Place, People & Living Memory Exhibition Tour & Talk

Phil Gatenby, Curator

Will outline the story behind the show, why so? And other questions this might raise for visitors to the show.