Posts in Highlights Category

Rawlinson is an abstract painter primarily working in oils. His work explores the natural world, with a particular focus on lichen – a symbiotic natural organism. He takes interest in their ‘often-unnoticed and underappreciated significance within our ecology, highlighting the extent of our vital relationship with everything that makes up life on earth’.

Using abstraction, gestural mark-making and a range of painterly techniques to ‘give life to’ his paintings, he builds up rich and textural images on large scale canvases. The works seek to manipulate the act and experience of looking; and provide spaces of contemplation and reflection. They form a basis for wider philosophical enquiries, drawing on existentialism and phenomenology, around ‘what it means to be alive’, and what our individual and collective place in the world might be.

Rawlinson has exhibited across the UK, including Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester, Brick Lane Gallery, London and The Alchemy Experiment Glasgow. Recently he was awarded a travel scholarship by The Aidan Threlfall Trust to the Scottish Highlands.

Lizzie King uses analogue and digital printmaking and photography to explore the ‘narratives of our human-centred universe’. This work was one of two pieces commissioned for Rediscovering Salford in 2020, a city-wide project inviting artists to respond to green spaces in the city.

King focussed on Peel Park and the importance of free and open ‘parks for the people’. Demand for public green spaces traces its roots to the Victorian era, and the park is widely recognised as one of the first ever public parks – and the first to be paid for by public subscription. This importance was heightened during the Covid-19 pandemic: while the artist was shielding it was one of the few safe places to visit.

The park bench became an important symbol of rest, relaxation and reflection: ‘The bench asks nothing of the sitter but ‘to be’’. In this work King reverses the roles – the bench itself becomes the ‘sitter’ of a ‘portrait’. Using an elaborate process of photography, engraving, enlarging and digitally combining 42 original images into one composition, the making of the work itself also became a meditative and reflective process.

Jameson is a queer multidisciplinary artist who works across physical and digital mediums to depict ‘unworldly narratives of the queer form… with fantastical narratives or comic depictions’. They see their work as a form of gender performance, and draw inspiration from across sci-fi, fantasy, technology, fashion and queer culture. Previous projects include direction, production design and costume for local film projects, music videos, and commercial campaigns.

Foraged from scrap,
Yet forged into treasure,
Here floats Arcadia.
A harmonious sanctuary.
Where water seeps,
rock weathers,
And minerals scatter,
Sprouting life.
Retold in this virtual realm of broken binaries and unbridled fantasy,
We prosper in imperfect harmony.
Here… We are one.

Jack Jameson’s work presents a model utopia, inspired by mythology and folklore. In this world nature prevails, and the ‘forest nymph, water siren and rock troll dwell in in harmony – free to be’. The work combines craft, costume, 3D scanning, printing and rendering, photography, and animation.

Glazzard is from West Yorkshire and based across the UK. Clients have included Calvin Klein, Adidas and Sony Music, and work has been featured in British Vogue, British GQ, British Journal of Photography, Elephant Magazine, The New Yorker, Dazed, and i-D.

Glazzard is a photographer and creative director working across personal, commercial and editorial fields. Their series LGBT+ Letters serves to counter the ‘complete lack of queer visibility’ the artist was met with upon coming- out while at secondary school; and aims to challenge the ‘stale stereotypes’ that still hamper the LGBTQIA+ community.

Through intimate snapshots accompanied by personal, hand-written accounts of the subjects’ own experiences of queerness and representation, a body of work is formed which celebrates the many different definitions of what ‘queer’ can be. ‘LGBT+ Letters is an attempt at providing, through portraits and texts, queer aesthetics for people who find themselves without meaningful representation in the world’.

Joe Fowler is a sound artist with a focus on the marriage of data, sound and visuals for the purpose of digital data conservation. His work includes code manipulation, microsound, sonification, and the deliberate corruption of common software. His work has been exhibited in hi-fi contexts such as TEDx and Jodrell Bank, and lo-fi context such as DIY shows at Islington Mill.

Outside of his work as a sound artist, he has provided composition and sound design to numerous media products, such as the 2023 Royal Television Society North West Best Animation ‘Wild Rides’. Fowler is now a lecturer in Creative Audio at the University of Salford.

‘Call to Industry’ is a ‘tongue-in-cheek exploration of Manchester’s fetishisation of industrial spaces and history, via a parody cult initiation video for an organisation which worships industry’.

The artist examines the frequent repurpose and reuse of former industrial spaces in the city, which often disregard the dark history of the buildings – including the exploitation and abuse of the working class. He considers the inequalities underlying the Industrial Revolution, which allowed those with enough money and power to continue to exploit those without such privileges. Today, property developers create expensive luxury apartments on the same sites, continuing to lock the working class out of the ability to ‘enjoy the greatest city on earth. Join the cult, worship the ruling class, worship industry…’

Elliott Flanagan is a poet, writer and artist. He was born in Burnley, a post-industrial town in the North of England. His work explores class, subcultures, and personal and social histories. A period spent playing football, working in sales and holiday repping contrasted with a ‘hidden pursuit’ of art via film, music, television, fashion, and rare gallery visits. His work is an exploration of the sometimes jarring intersection between these co-existing lives, and an ongoing dissection of contemporary masculinity.

He works regionally and internationally using poetry, installation, performance, sound, text, filmmaking, and collaborative practices. He was published by Burnley Words Festival in 2023 with Pendle Press; commissioned by Venture Arts in 2023 with artist Barry Finan, and exhibited new work at The Whitaker, Rossendale in 2022.

‘A piece of something bigger’ explores contemporary masculinity through the prism of package holiday culture. Flanagan looks at the ideas entrenched in the male gender stereotype that saturated his youth – misunderstood and under pressure to ‘conform and perform’. The artist studies a tension from his own experience between one’s own consciousness and social expectations.

‘The traditional form of masculinity and its lack of complexity is subverted, as the viewer is party to glimpses of real honesty in the chaos. The film discusses the camaraderie that exists in relationships between men and the value of the communal experience therein.’

With music by William Brown and Ashley Snook.

To celebrate World Mental Health Day 2024, we’ve launched a new self-guided mindful gallery tour. Pickup a leaflet in the gallery, or download a copy online here, and enjoy a new way of experiencing the artwork.

This years’ theme is workplace mental health, so why not take a break from your screen, or meet a colleague in the gallery, and hopefully enjoy a few minutes of calm.

As always our gallery (and the activity sheet) are open to staff, students and public.

Recently, the Hybrid Futures: Hypersea event premiered at Salford Museum & Art Gallery as part of Fat Out Fest, our team assistant Sam gives his thoughts:

The Hybrid Futures event was exciting from start to finish – welcoming public audiences from a variety of backgrounds to experience this contemporary exhibit of sound.

This was born out of a 10 day residency for Hypersea to respond to Shezad Dawood’s ‘Leviathan: From the Forest to the Sea‘ supported by Samarbeta Music Residency, IKLECTIK ART LAB , and the University of Salford Art Collection.

Starting with I Am Fya – an eclectic mix of vocals, digital sound, and sporadic imagery progressing through the performance. A spontaneous vocal reaction to candid configuration of music and sound, accompanied by collaged video. Each individual piece both reacted to and stimulated each other, pushing the piece to develop into a unique response to the moment. Some danced, some stood, some sat and embraced the mix of sensory stimulation as the performance existed in uncertainty and unfolded into something irreplicable.

Hypersea‘s response to Shezad Dawood’s ‘Leviathan: From the Forest to the Sea‘ was an encompassing mix of existentialism and possible outcomes for our futures. The sound was engaging, relaxing, and overall allowed the public to experience it how they wanted – the more lively of people danced, those who wanted to experience the sound (and sound only) sat down, closed their eyes, a couple even lay flat on their back to fully immerse themselves in the soundscape. For those with their eyes open, the lighting only added to the immersion of Hypersea’s performance – although lacking any change throughout the performance, the red light cast around the room kept the audience engaged and attentive. The soundtrack that Hypersea was constructed from sonified ocean data and used motion to control the composition – which I found extremely interesting, it gave the performance a real sense of weight and gravitas to know what was being presented.

A fitting closing celebration of the 3 year Hybrid Futures project, championing partnership working and collaboration across the North West.

Donely is a fibre artist specialising in rug-tufting using vegan materials. Wavy Lady is a hand-tufted rug inspired by a stewarding fellowship Donely undertook in 2019 at the 58th Venice Biennale, through the British Council. The work depicts a woman, hanging upside down, in the foetal position, tufted in various shades of blue. She represents vulnerability and the emotional experience of ‘falling in love with unfamiliar places; with atmospheres, with experiences, with strangers… the fleeting nature of these floating away in the water as quickly as they appeared’.

“Alena Donely’s practice has gone from strength to strength since graduating and completing her Salford Scholarship. The transition from university to being independent can be very challenging, with many adjustments including sourcing access to space and equipment. Through Alena’s own resourcefulness and dedication she has her built up her fully equipped workshop from where she can work on an ambitious scale and welcome people from all over the country and from overseas for her workshops and sharing of skills and experience.

The combination of the physicality of the heavy pneumatic tufting gun and the soft and colourful work it produces is not lost on Donely or the experience of her work. The tactile balance of the cold and the soft speaks of the expression of conflicting emotions. The roots of Donely’s practice flow from a personal place, drawing from her own mental health and telling her own story, whilst sharing works and a practice that is ever-accessible for others to engage and be inspired to both read and share their own experiences.

Donely’s welcoming and generous spirit of sharing has not stopped at the doors of her own studio –  since taking on her own space at Islington Mill she has been an engaged member of the community, extending to her active involvement in the long-term security and future of the studios for others to come.”

~Rachel Goodyear, Co-director at Islington Mill

Wavy Lady, 2020
Hand-tufted rug in acrylic and linen yarn
Alena Ruth Donely (2018/19)

The work reflects contrasting notions of ‘holding on’ and ‘letting’ go as a constant presence in the artists life, in a practice that draws on modern existentialism, experience of mental illness, trauma, and self-soothing – as well as being ‘unapologetically technicolour, playful and emotive’. She describes the object of the rug as an ‘island of play’ as a child – a place of storytelling, emotional connection and a comforting nostalgia.

Donely has exhibited work in group shows at Castlefield Gallery, Salford Museum and Art Gallery, HOME, and The Whitworth. She has also collaborated with Salford Lads and Girls Club, and made new work for the reopening of Rochdale Town Hall. Still based at Islington Mill, Alena now runs the Manchester Tufting Workshop, delivering commissions, workshops, courses and private tuition; as well as running collaborative sessions with the public at events including The Manchester Contemporary, 2023 and We Invented the Weekend, 2024.

Hi I’m Cami O’Hagan and I am over the moon to be working with the University of Salford Art Collection team as a Curatorial Intern. Recently having graduated from the BA (Hons) Photography programme in July of this year, I am now able to fulfil my professional aspirations in developing the curatorial side of my practice, with the support of the amazing members of this team; Curator Lindsay Taylor, Assistant Curator Stephanie Fletcher and Team Assistant Sam Parker!

I relocated to Manchester over three years ago to begin my academic journey at the Salford School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology. Born and raised in Belfast, Ireland by two parents who grew up during The Troubles – my work is profoundly rooted in socio-political issues within the UK and Western World. Completing my bachelor’s degree has shaped my decision in wanting dive deeper into the ‘behind the scenes’ of what it means to work in museum/gallery environment as an individual, but more importantly as a team.

This opportunity in working with the Art Collection has helped me navigate the daunting period that most people face when transitioning from student to graduate, I couldn’t have asked for a more rewarding and insightful experience. Beginning this internship in July, I have already gained a deeper insight and new perspective into how one handles and engages with a museum/gallery collection. Expanding my knowledge and skillset within the different branches of curatorial practices; my first responsibility in this role consisted of creating holistic blog posts on the Collection’s recent artwork acquisitions from the Derbyshire SLS/Buxton Museum (read more here) and also being given autonomy over selecting the ‘Artwork of the Month’ (coming soon!)

Additionally, to completing research and writing tasks, part of my role has also involved supporting the curation of the Art Collection’s most recent New Adelphi Exhibition Gallery exhibition ‘CATALYST’ which celebrates 10 years of the Graduate Scholarship Programme. Working with Steph and Sam in the preparation and installation process, creating a cohesive show that embodies the work from a variety of artists that have been part of the programme has been eye opening! Throughout the development of this exhibition, I have been prompted to step out of my usual stance as an artist, and step into the view of a curator. Grasping the challenges that come with this role; carrying out conditions checks, handling and displaying the artworks in a format that respects and amplifies the talent and intentions of each artist – I have learnt that this process is both delicate and complex.

Before starting this internship, I gained previous work experience within in the University of Salford’s Archive, working with Head Archivist Alexandra Mitchell on cataloguing and digitisation of the Walter Greenwood Archive. During this placement I came to realise the important role that archival practices hold within the area of curatorial and contemporary art projects, regarding the elements of researching and viewing materials and imagery through a different lens – in curating collections and archives.

Outside my role within the Art Collection, I uphold my own practice as a Creative Practitioner – currently I am investigating the connection between art, curation and activism. My artistry focuses on amplifying marginalised voices through photographic, archival and printmaking techniques. I produce large installation pieces through a hybrid-medium of collaged screen printing. My most recent projects focus on the themes of Queer oppression and restoration in the 21st century. Recently my ‘From the Top Down’ (2023) piece had been selected to be shown at Rosetta Art’s (London) ‘Queer in Newham’ exhibition back in March. Alongside my artistry, I have been developing my curatorial practice in cultivating my knowledge by researching and applying inclusive curatorial practices within the UK’s heteronormative arts and heritage sector. My determination in putting 100% into my research and practical experiments has recently granted me a nomination for the Dean’s Award for Academic Achievement at the 2024 Create Student Awards.

Now nearly two months into this internship, I am feeling inspired and ready to take on the next challenges set within my role; taking a further deep dive into the logistics of collection care and handling procedures. Putting my technical knowledge and skills gained within my last three years to the test in photographing, cataloguing, digitising the collection. I’m excited to explore the intriguing and varied strands within the collection, and most importantly to be part of the process which enables staff, students and the community of Salford to further discover what this collection has to offer.

Cami O’Hagan – September 2024

You can find more of Cami’s artwork and curatorial projects on their Instagram and website:

Instagram: @coh_visuals
Website: https://cohagan1.wixsite.com/camiohagan