This month, it is the turn of Manchester artist, film-maker and theatre director, Sue Reddish to install artwork in the Great Northern Warehouse Watch this Space Window at 285 Deansgate.
From 9th June – 3rd July Sue will be exhibiting two pieces of work; ‘Sleep Well?’ an interpretation of a star patterned quilt made entirely from old cardboard boxes and string, and ‘40 Fragments’, a collection of 40 details inspired by surfaces around Manchester City Centre, exploring the patina of the environment.
Sue’s art is influenced by the urban landscapes and abstract marks that surround us. Symbols of ‘wear and tear’ can be beautiful, haunting and evocative. They act as signposts, hinting at layers of life that have inhabited a specific location over time.
Sue interacts with and interprets the effect of time and history on the city. Currently her work is a response to Manchester’s high-rise building boom. She is both intrigued and unsettled by the huge physical changes that are taking place.
“The quilt aims to highlight the contradictions and imbalance of the city, where shiny new luxury apartments are growing up into the skyline, while street sleepers are growing in number. Quilts are associated with comfort and softness, the disconnect between the image and the material hopes to make the viewer pause and consider this juxtaposition of luxury and hardship occupying the same urban space.”
Sue’s background is a theatre director and filmmaker, with a particular interest in researching and presenting the often untold stories of a place or of group of people. She aims to use the same story-making skills in her textile work, to explore the character of a place: research, observation and improvisation. Casting the City of Manchester, with its rich textile history, eclectic population and diverse architecture, as a protagonist – Sue uses her work to try to better understand both the city and her place within it.
Sue has a studio at Rogue Artists Studios in Openshaw and along with colleague Jim Dalziel, has a film company, Flying Tripod Films. Specialising in creating films with, for, and about people of all ages and backgrounds, the company aims to tell important and personal stories that can shape people’s ideas about the world and lead to positive social action. They work with arts organisations, youth groups, community projects, schools, charities, advocacy groups and universities along with community-based work in the public sector. They believe that everyone has a story to tell.
If you would like to find out more about Sue’s work, follow her on Instagram – @suereddishart
Watch this Space is a project run by Great Northern Warehouse in association with arts collective, Dez Rez Projects to spotlight artists and creative businesses working in Greater Manchester. Instagram @dezrezprojects
