Andy Eccleston and Ron Wright
12 January – 11 February 2006
Press Release 12.01.06
Bored of seeing the same old shop windows and corporate displays in the city centre? Well now there is a genuine alternative with a new initiative by Opera North to unite contemporary art and opera. For each opera season Leeds based co-curators Lucy Gibson and Yvonne Carmichael will programme exhibitions to accompany Opera North’s productions. This first season starts with a bang by programming 2 shows, to accompany The Magic Flute and Orfeo.
Spindrift by Andy Eccleston and Ron Wright, to accompany The Magic Flute, visually records and exposes the inscapes of musical instruments. This reveals the hidden textures and colours that are formed within instruments as they are played.
110 still images, mainly of the interiors of flutes, are shown as a continuous projection in the window of the gallery between 4pm and 4am, at 42 New Briggate. Accompanying the projection is a sinister sonic exploration of the journey through the instruments, broadcast into the street via window speakers.
Notes to the editor:
Andy Eccleston is a lens based media artists who has been a professional practitioner for 20 years. He has exhibited nationally and internationally and is currently artist-in-residence in physics and astronomy at the University of Sheffield.
Ron Wright is a sound artist and sound designer his recent feature films include Jelly Dolly and Exhibit A. Films he has worked on have won awards at Berlin, California and Raindance film festivals. He lectures at Sheffield Hallam University.
42 New Briggate is an initative by Opera North Projects to unite contemporary art and opera. It is curated by Lucy Gibson and Yvonne Carmichael. Lucy and Yvonne are Leeds based artists and curators. Lucy graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 2000 and has since exhibited her artwork nationally and internationally. She co-founded the international art organisation EmergeD and lectures at Leeds College of Art and Design. Yvonne graduated with a first class honours in 2006 through organising the renowned Strawberry Tart Trail and has completed the Cittadellarte Fondazione Pistoletto international residency in Italy. She works collaboratively with Andy Abbott as Your Arms! Lucy and Yvonne are both founding members of Leeds’ collaborative art group Polka Flock.
Images from Spin Drift projection by Andy Eccleston and Ron Wright - 1 of 110 showing the interiors of Flutes. Spindrift was commissioned to accompany Opera North's production of 'The Magic Flute'. Images courtesy of the artist.
Spindrift is a work-in-progress supported by Opera North.