DAY’S OUT
Exhibitions in Essex
Get a new perspective this season with these exhibits in Colchester and Southend-on-Sea. The Essex Way and Essex Man, Michael Landy Firstsite, Colchester
Michael Landy, ‘The Essex Way’ exhibition Image: Richard Ivey
Storm Warning: What does climate change mean for coastal communities? Focal Point Gallery and Big Screen Southend
‘The Essex Way’ and ‘Essex Man’ were both created and installed as part of Firstsite’s exhibition, ‘Michael Landy’s Welcome to Essex’ in 2021 and, due to their popularity, continue to be presented at the gallery. These artworks are currently scheduled to leave Firstsite in 2024, so be sure to visit before the end of the year to experience these immense works up close.
Storm Warning is a collaboration between Focal Point Gallery, Newlyn Art Gallery and The Exchange, Penzance. They are seeking to raise awareness of the impact of climate change on coastal communities in south Essex and Mount’s Bay, Cornwall, through new and innovative artworks.
British artist Michael Landy is interested in the recent history of Essex and how the county has been stereotyped by the media over the past thirty years. The ‘Essex Man,’ is a term coined by historian and journalist Simon Heffer (himself hailing from Essex) in a 1990 Sunday Telegraph article entitled ‘Mrs. Thatcher’s Bruiser’.
Katharine Stout, Director of Focal Point Gallery, said: “The artists featured in this exhibition take a range of approaches, working with ecologists, activists, citizen scientists, marine biologists and those working in the fishing industry. The resulting works range from the playful and immersive to projects which foreground the role artists can play as activists and strategists.
‘Michael Landy: The Essex Way’, is a large-scale collage, created by the artist, inspired by walks he has taken throughout Essex with Southend based artist and activist Elsa James, writer and broadcaster Gillian Darley, and Professor Pam Cox, Head of the Department of Sociology at the University of Essex.
“We hope this exhibition will not just show the impact of the climate crisis on our locations but also highlight the change we can each make as individuals.”
www.firstsite.uk/event/michael-landy-essex-manafter-collet
www.fpg.org.uk/exhibition/storm-warning
Storm Warning is running from now until Saturday 6 January 2024.
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