The story of the Cottingley Fairies, photography and artwork from Macbeth-related locations and Romeo and Juliet tourist attractions in Verona, Italy with artists Giuseppe Lambertino, Eva Rowson and Yvonne Carmichael.

Eva Rowson, Giuseppe Lambertino and Yvonne Carmichael.

Thursday 24 April – Wednesday 21 May 2008
Gallery is open Tuesday – Saturday 12pm - 7pm


Private View - Wednesday 23 April 6pm - 8pm with refreshments and activities, including games and quizzes from Bryony Pritchard. Everyone is Welcome.
Parent and Child Art Activity with Tim Curtis - Saturday 3 May 3pm – 5pm
Artist’s Talk with Eva Rowson, Giuseppe Lambertino and Yvonne Carmichael - Thursday 8th May 6pm – 7pm

To accompany Opera North’s Shakespeare Resounding season, Matter of Fact presents photography and installation work exploring our willingness to suspend disbelief for the sake of a good story. Inspired by the enduring relevance and timeless qualities of Shakespeare’s plays, this exhibition takes as its starting point the intriguing relationship between eyewitness account and fiction.

Two specially commissioned works by contemporary artists are displayed alongside photographs and documentation from the infamous Cottingley Fairies story, forming an investigation of ideas such as ‘evidence’ and ‘proof’ in art’s attempt to enrich everyday life.

The photographs taken by Yorkshire girls Frances Griffiths and Elsie Wright are now nearly 100 years old but time hasn’t eroded the impact of their playfulness. In 1917, it seemed as if the whole world was taken in by their photographs of fairies in Cottingley Beck, which were lent further authority by the patronage of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The exhibition will display five photographic prints of the Cottingley Fairies alongside drawings and writings by Frances and Elsie. Interviews with the pair nearly 60 years after the original fairy-furore in a spellbinding documentary made for Yorkshire Television’s Calendar News programme in 1973 will also be shown.

'Distant Relatives' is a newly commissioned photographic series made to accompany Opera North’s production of Macbeth. Artist Giuseppe Lambertino travelled to the far reaches of Scotland to document actual sites relating to the real 11th century Scottish king, who may or may not have been the inspiration for Shakespeare’s play.

'Love Capital' accompanies Roméo et Juliette and displays the results of artists Eva Rowson and Yvonne Carmichael’s trip around locations in Verona associated with the world’s most famous lovers. The installation will present their souvenirs with an artist’s book exploring the commercial opportunities created by Romeo and Juliet’s tragic but everlasting love.

Saturday 3 May Parent and Child Art Activity
Create your own legendary creature at 42 New Briggate Gallery on Mayday weekend with community artist Tim Curtis. All artwork made during the workshop will be exhibited in the gallery. Places are free but limited; please ring 07815 780179 or email enquiries@42newbriggate.co.uk to book places.

Opening Night of Limelight

Photographs of Bryony Pritchard's performance on the opening night of Limelight. Bryony made custom newspaper outfits and accessories for all willing attendees.

Limelight

Limelight
Victoria Lucas





42 New Briggate Gallery, Leeds

Friday 22nd February – Saturday 22nd March 2008
Gallery is open to the public Tuesday – Saturday 12 - 7pm
Part of the installation will be permanently visible through the gallery’s window for the duration of the exhibition.

Preview Event Thursday 21nd February 6-8pm
Closing Event Saturday 22nd March 5-8pm

Everyone is welcome FREE ENTRY

42 New Briggate Gallery delves behind the scenes of The Grand Theatre inviting artists to respond to the wealth of material in Opera North’s archive. The upcoming exhibition, featuring artist Victoria Lucas, offers the audience a rare opportunity to take a closer look at costumes used in the past few years’ Opera seasons. The installation will include an array of short films that are integrated into a display these garments and props.

During the course of the exhibition three situation responsive works will be executed by other artists to be showcased at the closing event in the back gallery space. This will include a performance by Bryony Pritchard, drawings by Nichola Pemberton and a sound piece by Mick Flower and James Smart.

A limited edition artist’s book souvenir by Victoria Lucas will accompany the exhibition (and will be available for purchase).

SUPER FAST CHICKENS

Currently showing...

Super Fast Chickens By Hannah Bolland and Edward Mortimer
To accompany Opera North’s production of The Adventures of Pinocchio

Exhibition runs daily from Friday 21st December until Saturday 26th January



This artwork is viewable through the gallery window from 4pm to 8am DAILY

A fantastical multimedia window installation with manipulated toys and carnival themed projections.

For four weeks this winter, the window of 42 New Briggate Gallery will open onto a world of colourfully crafted chaos; a 3D moving tableaux of chromatic festivity.

Toys, texture and technology all vie for space within this opulent and garish carnival. Inspired by the bright lights and style of Italian shopping boulevards, the window scene interrupts reality with rubber plants, colour saturation, speed and chickens.

Commissioned to accompany Opera North’s brand new The Adventures of Pinocchio, Super Fast Chickens is by no means a sweet fairytale; a hint of the dark side noticeably creeps in.

The Adventures of Pinocchio is composed by Jonathan Dove who says “For a long time, I have thought that the tale of Pinocchio would make a marvellous opera, one that appeals to the whole family…Marionette-dances, fairground rides, assassins giving chase; terrifying men and a captivating girl; crime and punishment, remorse and reconciliation”.

Hannah Bolland and Edward Mortimer are West Yorkshire based artists. They both have individual art practices that use found objects, assemblages and installation. Edward describes his work as humorous or sinister, kitsch, ugly, absurd, aesthetically pleasing or just unusual. Hannah’s work focuses on childhood and play, shrines and ritual, seasons, cycles, life and death. In 2005 they received grants from the Arts Council England and Esmée Fairburn Foundation to create a new work, ‘The Magical Realm of Light’ for South Square Gallery in Bradford.

This commission marks a new stage in the development of 42 New Briggate Gallery, which will support artists from the north of England. It is the first work to be made specifically for the gallery in response to an opera.

Email: enquiries@42newbriggate.co.uk

Images of Residency Exhibition

Invitation to join us for a one-off evening exhibition.

To conclude our series of window residencies at 42 New Briggate Gallery we will be hosting an evening event from 6-8pm on THURSDAY 13TH DECEMBER.

The artists involved have undertaken a variety of projects - from working with homeless people in Leeds to locking themselves up in the 42 ZOO (as seen on Look North - come on Thursday to see the recording....).

Please join us to celebrate the work of the artists and to get into the festive spirit, 42 style!

Artists involved in the residencies are:

Jennifer Ohlson
A Latento (Alex Farrar, Harry Meadley and Iona Smith)
Patrick Gildersleeves
Andy Abbott

See here for more details.

COMING SOON: FRIDAY 21ST DECEMBER - OPENING OF SUPER FAST CHICKENS.
see here for more details

Residency Line Up

From Wednesday 14th November 42 New Briggate will be hosting a brand new series of residencies.

Artists were invited to put forward proposals for how they would use the gallery space to make work that is visible in or through the gallery’s large front window. Everyone is most welcome to peer in and watch the successful artists at work and play.

1. Jennifer Ohlson
14th November – 21st November
Jennifer has asked members of the homeless community in Leeds to document areas of the city that they find hospitable with the aim of producing a guide to temporary nocturnal accommodation outside of traditional lodgings. Photographs, sketches, found objects, gifts, narratives, opinions and ideas from the contributors will be displayed in the window of 42 New Briggate Gallery as a continuously updated archive.

2. A Latento – Alex Ferrar, Harry Meadley, and Iona Smith
ZOO FORTY TWO
21st November – 28th November
A Latento will convert 42 New Briggate into a zoo enclosure in which they will live in captivity under the observation of the public.
To open their residency the group will be launching their debut publication. Come to the gallery to receive your free copy on Wednesday 21st November 7pm - 9pm.

3. Patrick Gildersleeves
28th November – 5th December
Illustrator Patrick Gildersleeves will build a 3-D garden collage using drawings, cloth and cardboard.

4. Andy Abbott
Leeds Amateur Mafia
Andy presents in the gallery's window research on amateur and self organised activity across Leeds.

There will be an exhibition showcasing the three weeks work on Thursday 13th December 6-8pm all are welcome.