Top Story – Contemporary Art Exhibition in Teesside
Another visit to a beautiful contemporary art exhibition in Teesside. Last month I went to an exhibition opening evening at The Auxiliary Art Gallery in Middlesbrough. This time, it is the opening evening of the Pineapple Black Summer Show, also in Middlesbrough.
This blog post continues my quest to learn and experience art-related activities in Teesside. Check out the beginning of this quest, “Art Galleries in Teesside – Art is Alive and Thriving In Teesside” (I know it’s a long title, but I like it).
There is also one slight difference between this art exhibition and the previous one. One of my abstract acrylic paintings is on display at the Pineapple Black Summer Show.
I find visiting a contemporary art exhibition is so rewarding as you can form your own unique experiences and take away the information you desire.
Online contemporary art gallery technology has come a long way but still cannot project the same atmosphere as visiting an art exhibition in person.
So, here is my experience of the opening evening of the Pineapple Black Summer Show art exhibition.
Pineapple Black Art Gallery
To start with, Pineapple Black art gallery is located in Hill Street Shopping Centre in Middlesbrough. A prime location right in the heart of the town centre. The contemporary art gallery is run by two local artists, Bobby Benjamin and Steven Irving. Pineapple Black celebrated its first opening evening on 16 January 2019.
The enormous open-plan gallery space is quite impressive. Several art exhibitions have already taken place since the open day. It is an excellent space to showcase local, national and international creative talents.
Pineapple Black Summer Show
I like visiting art exhibitions and I find the experience to be very interesting and enlightening. Viewing artworks in person at an art exhibition or a museum is entirely a different experience from viewing them on a mobile phone or laptop screen. It gives you an inspiring feeling and a deeper dimension of the artwork.
Seeing the finer brushstroke details, the several layers and the texture is more visible and tangible. You would feel the energy of the colours and shapes. Seeing the artwork in person would allow you to judge whether you connect with it or maybe not.
At this art exhibition, there were a large number of beautiful paintings that covered the white walls all around the gallery space. There were several other interesting pieces of artwork displayed in several locations on pedestals throughout the gallery space.
The art exhibition is showcasing artworks from over fifty local and national artists. I am not sure if other international artists participated in the show. I will find out more the next time I visit the art exhibition. But to me, it is a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate Teesside’s artistic and cultural creativity.
The contemporary art exhibition will run from 28 July to 20 August 2022.
I thoroughly enjoyed looking at all of the artworks on show and trying to discover their stories. Stories play a big part in our lives and experiences and I’m sure each one has its own unique story. I’m always interested in unique and individual stories. It’s just my curiosity. Who is the artist? Why did they create that piece of artwork? What is their message and what are they trying to tell us?
I met some of the visitors and we talked about art and cultural activities in Teesside. We also talked about some of the artworks on display, including my abstract painting.
And that triggered so many questions about my artwork and about how I create abstract paintings. It’s never easy to talk about your own artwork or yourself, at least in my opinion. I prefer to let my paintings tell their stories and leave the viewers the freedom to make their interpretations. I always encourage viewers to say what they ‘feel’ rather than what they see.
A small group of people gathered around and I realised that there is interest or maybe curiosity in abstract art. As always, some of the people asked the usual questions: “what do you see in abstract art?”, “what does it mean?”, “how to understand abstract art?”, etc. One question, in particular, was repeated by a few people and that was “how do you appreciate contemporary art”? Interesting!
How Do You Appreciate Contemporary Artwork
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Beauty is subjective and everyone has their own definition of what is beautiful. Beauty is influenced by personal preference, life experience and emotions that shape us as individuals.
So it is important to keep an open mind when looking at contemporary artworks. To start with, avoid the temptation to find a recognisable object. Because in contemporary art, the realism of any kind almost never appears unless it serves a deliberate statement. If it’s a painting, look at the colours and shapes and feel their energy. Analyse your own subjective reaction.
There is nothing to understand in contemporary art except your own feelings. There are likely to be endless interpretations we may attempt to give a piece of art. As a result, there could be endless ways to see its hidden beauty.
The word ‘beauty’ here isn’t necessarily about whether the piece of artwork looks beautiful or not. It is more about its power to evoke an emotional response. Even if that emotional response is something like “I don’t like it”. It is still an emotional response and perhaps you need to ask yourself why don’t you like it.
Most viewers will find contemporary art to be thought-provoking because it is both personally expressive and a commentary on culture. It is for this reason that so many people like visiting museums and art galleries and interacting with works of art.
It offers individuals the possibility to be exposed to stimuli that may elicit ideas and possibly even emotions. It may result in new knowledge, education and personal development for many.
I spoke to so many artists about abstract and contemporary art. Some strongly disliked it and dismissed it as true art. When I investigated deeper into the subject I found many artists have formed their overall judgement of what true art meant to them personally. And anything outside that parameter was not considered true art. It is subjective.
I look at art as a language of expression rather than following the rules of art representation. I can paint perfect portraits, but that, in my opinion, is just another copy of realism which may or may not reflect emotions, feelings, ideas, expressions and messages. It is perfectly fine if that’s what you enjoy doing.
To me, the beauty of art is in its power to evoke emotions rather than aesthetic beauty by following the rules of the art world elites. Because they say so!
I follow no art rules. I’m not desperate for the art elites to judge my work for fame or financial gains. My work is my reflection and freedom of expression. Rules can and do restrict your imagination and thoughts.
Art has the potential to deeply engage the mind. This is because it does employ images rather than words to convey ideas. For the viewer to truly engage with a piece of contemporary art, it can elicit not just the thoughts but also the feelings that go along with them.
This encourages a discussion inside the person’s head that may be frightening, sensational or even transforming to their worldview.
Art, in general, is an enormous subject to talk about as it is all about people and people sharing their life experiences in different forms.
Conclusion
A good art exhibition is a cohesive collection of artwork assembled for the general public’s entertainment, enjoyment and educational benefits. A good art exhibition is full of unique stories created with colour meanings, shapes, lines and textures.
We create art for a variety of reasons, including personal ones. Connecting art with people is a prime objective. Art exhibitions offer artists exciting opportunities not only to display their works but also to share their ideas with people.
Art gallery and museum exhibitions serve many significant purposes. Promoting positive mental health and emotional well-being stands out, particularly in challenging times. Art galleries are an essential source of inspiration and social connection in a community.
I’m very pleased to learn that earlier this year, Middlesbrough received a £5m fund to boost its art and cultural activities. It is fantastic news and development for the town.
I always believe that art, in its various types and activities, is a true reflection and sharing of a society’s experience in life.
It is also true that museums are credible sources of information. “People Trust Museums More Than Newspapers” is a very interesting article and provides a greater depth of how museums are perceived as experts and trusted entities.
In general, visiting a contemporary art exhibition is a chance to exchange ideas, see the amazing artistic talents and engage with some of the local cultural attractions.
It can be an excellent way to learn about novel concepts or previously unexplored facets of history, as well as stunning works of art.
Art exhibitions can be a fun, intriguing, entertaining and educational activity. And that certainly has been the case at the opening evening of the Pineapple Black Summer show.
