Welcome to the catalogue for the exhibition In a Pinch. What pinch or pinches this refers to I will leave to your imagination.
I am writing this in late April 2025 in my capacity as Artist Development Programmer at arts organisation the NewBridge Project, where I look after things like the annual Collective Studio.
I also frequently wear the hat of an Associate Lecturer in the Fine Art department at Newcastle University, where I look after some of the Life Work Art activity.
I write this in April yet you read it in May, so it can only give a flavour of the kind of work that might be on display for you in actuality. The catalogue contains a lot of First Year work, and a smattering of Collective Studio work. Niall Greaves has designed it for Risograph print but you may well be reading a PDF.
For many years First Year Fine Art Students have put on an exhibition in a succession of NewBridge buildings, and for the last few years I have helped to oversee this. NewBridge Dan (me) liaises with University Dan (also me) on many issues and decisions. This was nowhere near confusing enough, so I invited another Dan (Goodman) in, who also works for the University on Life Work Art and works for NewBridge as a member of the current Programme Committee and was a past Collective Studio member.
Dan Goodman has previously done expansive Now That’s What I Call Art exhibitions as collaborations between his own nomadic System Gallery and Jenny McNamara and Eve Cromwell’s Spaghetti Factory. He was responsible for the recent ‘Open’ Open exhibition at NewBridge, which shares an egalitarian ethos (and some timber) with this installation for the Late Shows.
Every year I respond to ideas that are floating around. This year Dan proposed building a support structure within which to display lots of art for a Collective Studio event. NewBridge member Joe Shaw also independently proposed a learning-bydoing install/exhibition project, having worked with students in the old NewBridge’s Carliol House basement several years ago. Joe has a workshop at NewBridge. I wasn’t sure who to work with, and whether to do this as a University project or a Collective Studio project, so settled on all of the above.
This year the decision was made to see if there could be a bit more natural overlap between the students and the Collective. Many former Newcastle University Fine Art students go on to do the Collective Studio so it makes sense to emphasise this connection earlier on in the students’ studies. A scheduled Collective Studio day fell mid-install for the Late Shows. The scene was set.
Why I am telling you all this? It takes a lot of mutual support for exciting things to happen. Nothing exists in isolation. In the art world you sometimes have to play multiple roles or wear many different hats. You also need to be adept at keeping the show on the road when carpets are pulled out from under you. Having trusted collaborators around you makes things smoother and more enjoyable. Support structures, be they literal, metaphorical, friendship-based or physically built installations are very much needed because within all this magic can happen.
Enjoy the exhibition and this catalogue.
Cheers,
Dan Russell
Mary Adams
she/her, 21/06/05, Born in Scarborough @artofthemoo maryadams571@gmail.com
Theatre in the space between art and reality.
Dot is a puppet. Mary made her. Mary’s unsure who’s really in control of the situation. On a scale of one to ten how much agency does a puppet have? Mary can’t connect the dots.
Amy Rat
they/she Artist from Chester-le-Street @ amy__rat amyratmail@gmail.com
Callum Ashcroft
he/him, 2005, born in Kendal, currently based in Newcastle @callum.ashcroft.art callum_ashcroft@yahoo.com
In his current body of work, Lobstergeddon, Ashcroft creates a delusional reality that definitely does not mirror our own, employing humour to form a satirical hellscape of tyranny and misfortune under the iron-claw rule of Divine Prawnstar Philoneous Prawn. He forms sculptures and models to inform the worlds inside his paintings.
Alicia Beadle
she/her, 28/07/2004
Born in Belfast now living in Newcastle @artivia_16 alicia.grace141@gmail.com
My work uses a variety of mediums, often paint with sculpture or textiles. I am motivated by a duty to political issues and social justice activism (such as Palestinian liberation, queer experiences and the climate crisis) and responding to my personal experience of the world.
Owen Bonner-Morgan
he/him 10/02/2005
Studying in Newcastle but from Guernsey @ o_bmorgan owenbm1@icloud.com
My current studio practice explores the themes of abstracting the forms of the human body using figurative metal sculptures. I developed these into figurative oil paintings inspired by my life drawings. These paintings express bright, abstract forms that play around with the contrast of light and dark and the presence of the human figure in a space.
I am experimenting with a variety of materials but the constant thoughts of body, relationships, space and materiality are at the for-front of my practice. I love outdoor spaces and the realtionship we have with them; I am heavily influenced from where I have grown up. I dream of having work in large public spaces for people to interact with and enjoy.
she/her sudying in Newcastle, from Oxford @artmadebynell nellbown52@gmail.com
Matilda Burwell
she/her, 17/02/2006, West Sussex, Living in Newcastle. @aliceburwell_ alice.burwell@icloud.com
Nell aims to emanate tactility, character, concept, dynamics, conversation and fibre. Nell is aimed to win the Turner Prize. At the moment, Nell is aiming to touch on the warp and weft of the loom, with the intention of building her own visual language.
My artwork consists mainly of organic forms and the interelationships between the man made and natural world. Unconventional viewpoints and perspectives are central in my current work. Printmaking has enabled me to solidify and explore new ideas through the versitility and speed of the process.
Alice
Alexandra Isabel Edridge Codd
she/her 02.08.2005 London, Living in Newcastle @alexandraarttttt alexandracodd@icloud.com
I work across various mediums, recently exploring wood carving as a way to apply automatism while responding intuitively to the material. My work delves into hidden desires, emotions and memory, often centering around the body and how subconscious forces shape both identity and physical form.
I have been working with collage, textiles and other mediums such as digital expression of my pieces and the use of sound and video. I am inspired by female relationships within families and the importance/impact they have on members within family units.
Ella Conyers
she/her, 24/12/2005, Mallorca, Living in Newcastle. @ella.sstudio ellaconyers@icloud.com
Rebecca Butler
she/her, 24.05.2006 London, living in Newcastle rebbutler5@gmail.com
Exploring the possibilities of mixing digital media with the physical to create interactive pieces.
Grace
Emily Coombe-Gollop
she/her 22.10.2004, Cornwall, now living in Newcastle @grace.emily.cg graceemilyartsendevours@gmail.com
As a multidisciplinary artist I enjoy working with a variety of mediums. Recently I’ve explored textiles to create sculptural forms. Fairytales are a big inspiration for my practice. I am currently looking at creating a substitute for lost intimacy out of inanimate objects. Inspired by Pinocchio and Blubber Boy.
Louisa Cooper
she/her 2004, Leeds - Newcastle
@louisa_rose_art louisa.rose2004@gmail.com
Within my work, I explore the ephemeral nature of memory and time. Focusing on the distortion of light and imagery to portray fragments of the mind. Testing the limitations of film photography, print and digital mediums.
Alexander Serge Dewdney
he/him, 2006, Currently living in Newcastle @alex_dewdney alexdewdney.glitch.me alexdewdney@outlook.com
Weapons, extreme emotions, fantasy, Rock & Metal, Ancient Greece & Rome, paintings and sculptures… Disliking society, I criticise current events by referring to historical events or translating my fantasy hyperfixations into art.
My work mostly looks at both people and their dogs, trying to best reflect the close bond between them. I enjoy exploring this using drawing and sculpture but mostly create large scale oil paintings of people and pet compositions and try to capture a raw and real moment in these.
Clara FenlonGeorgina
she/her, born 10/07/2006 Thailand, now living in Newcastle @clarafenlonart clarafenlon15@gmail.com
I’ve always been interested in ceramics and my time at uni has given me the facility to be able to explore this. I’ve recently been developing a technique using slip piped onto different everyday human objects to create the illusion of nature taking over.
My artistic practice explores dreamlike imagery, focusing on natural forms - especially aquatic forms like goldfish. I am fascinated by the unconscious mind and the symbolism of eyes. My work often portrays the main subject in a void-like background, emphasising a sense of mystery and isolation.
Lucy Gee
she/her, born 25/11/2005, Shap a little village close to Penrith, now living in Newcastle @gee.art314 lucy.gee2511@gmail.com
she/her. born 05/01/2005, London. Currently living in Newcastle @morgana.gibbs morgan.m.gibbs@gmail.com
As a mixed media artist, I’m currently interested in working sculpturally with experimental materials and textiles, combining contrasting tactile elements in my work. By taking a more magnified look at the human form, I am inspired by medical and scientific themes. More specifically, I have recently been looking at reproductive cells and ideas around motherhood. Importantly, this work is created through a feminist lens in the current political climate, illustrating concerns about the recent increase of misogyny and push for removal of abortion rights.
In my recent artistic practice, I have begun to explore surrealist influences in an attempt to blend figurative and abstract imagery. I have enjoyed playing with different motifs, such as cats, bodies of water and playing cards. I work across different mediums to do this, including painting, illustration and sculpture.
Abby Green
she/her 08.11.2004 Born in Lancashire, currently living in Newcastle @greeniesgallery abbygreen457@outlook.com
Currently intrested in exploring the intersection of female exploitation, either within the media or the struggles they face in a system. Using spray paint as my medium to turn street art into commentary.
I am currently interested in: time, the familiarity and unfamiliarity of place, movement, aligning our imagination with reality & exploring the mundane and everyday through reflection, light and ways not obvious to the eye. Exploring this through film, painting and photography.
Imogen Hayes
she/her born 25/09/2004 London Living London -> Newcastle @ihayesart imogen.hayes25@gmail.com
Agata Hendzel
she/ her born 19/02/2005 Portsmouth and attending Newcastle University @bigjugjudy agatahendzel13@gmail.com
Albert HemmingsBeasley
he/him born 25/03/2006 in London and at university in Newcastle @bertie.beasley bertie.beasley@icloud.com
Art: I return to the sun-dappled country paths of North-East Poland, hearing the warbles of swallows and smelling the chimney-smoke; and there she is near the well, cautiously watching the dog on the other side of the fence. We walk and talk until the shadows grow long, child-me and I.
I am interested at the moment in sculptural work responding to found objects and materials especially rubbish and litter.
Isobel Duffy Hincs
she/her born 08/06/2006 in Milton Keynes and living in Newcastle isobelhincks@gmail.com
Katarina Jimack’s work centres around the unexpected and bizarre. She infuses an amalgamation of personalities into her pieces; working with clay and using her hands to mould her characters into existence. Jimack’s sculptures walk a tightrope between dreamlike manifestations and charmingly grotesque appearances.
I am currently exploring the themes of physical movement and emotion, looking at figuration and portraiture. I have an interest in sport, where I am trying to capture athletes passion using paint.
Katarina Jimack
she/her, born 03/08/2005 London -> Newcastle @katjimack.art katarinajimack@icloud.com
Kazuma Ikeda
born 01/09/2002 in Shizuoka Japan studied in Oxford -> Newcastle @kazumkun kazuma.i901@gmail.com
Esme Kelley
she/her, born 13/11/2005 Darlington. Living in Newcastle. @minopopu esmekelley78@gmail.com
I am interested in the relationship between the artwork, the creator, the viewer, and the environment that encompasses them. I create works using found objects and document the interaction between the artwork and the viewer through video, exploring their mutual influence and the transformation of meaning.
I am currently exploring themes of suspension, restriction and embellishment through the feminine personification of lamps. I am intrigued by a variety of media and techniques, including wood carving and sculpting with wire.
Laure Juliette Landais
she/her, born 06/04/2006 France-> Newcastle laure.landais@gmail.com
My art predominantly includes photography, combined with an element of physical manipulation and most recently textiles. I am currently interested in flowers and the importance of preserving nature in its purest form. I enjoy the process of stitching and embroidering pressed flowers into fabric to explore the preservation of memories.
My work explores the fleeting moments of mundane life and the various relationships we develop in our lives. I have been experimenting with multiple compositions and mediums such as pen and watercolour to depict a cinematic yet illustrative style. By obscuring faces, I aim to create a sense of mystery and invite viewers to construct their own
Madeline Milner
she/her, born 28/02/2006 Leeds -> Newcastle @madelinem_art madelineeviemilner@gmail.com
Lucie Luke
she/her born 06/04/05
Durham -> Newcastle @artbylucie
Lucie.Luke@mail.com
I’m interested in oddness, humour, personality, experience. Currently, the main element of my practice consists of questionnaires, graphs, and questions which are answered by participants. I like to work with photography, video, sculpture, drawing, prints, objects, and participation.
Pablo Mitchell
he/him born 2004
a small island --> Newcastle @artist_on_this_rock rathlin_pablo@outlook.com
Gina Newstead
she/her born 29/09/2005 in London Living Cheshire -> Newcastle @gina_n_art ginanewstead@gmail.com
I’m currently interested in exploring the intersection of agriculture and tradition. Moreover, the decline of the family farm, the crush of urbanization that heavily impacts the local culture, economy and community of my local area. I use organic materials that are locally sourced to interpret the recurring themes of tradition and loss. Furthermore, I use primary imagery and pencil sketches of farmers at work alongside mixed media in pursuance of showcasing these themes.
Natural processes and the progression of time underpins my practice. I’m currently investigating the movement of the sun marking it’s light and shadow on cyanotype textiles alongside ceramic figure-like forms. influenced by Surrealism, I further enjoy creating textile creatures to physically ebody insubstantial concepts.
Tegwen Owen-Stanford
she/her. Born 08/04/2006 Masham, North Yorkshire -> Newcastle @tegween_fineart tegwen@enhanceautomation.co.uk
Megan Nicholson
they/them, born 06/04/2006 in Crewe Ellesmere -> Newcastle @megannicholsonart melancholeart@outlook.com
Their practise consists largely of drawing, painting and beadwork revolving around Welsh folklore and the mechanics of mythology. Having grown up on the North WalesShropshire border they explore the loss of Welsh history and the mythological tale Y Mabinogion, challenging the viewer to consider lost social identities in Celtic cultures.
I work over a variety of media to capture ephemeral moments in my surroundings. My recent interest has been held in water and its reflective surface, capturing the light and colour of its surroundings. I am intruiged by the illusory qualities of these reflections.
Sidney Parker-Fuller
she/her born 27/10/2004 Newcastle @arty_sid_ izzypf27@gmail.com
For long time I used to express my thinking only throught paintings, but this year I tried many others mediums like animations, sculpture, digital art, videomaking, masks etc. My main idea is trying find conections between multiple medias. Also I really like work with colors and trying new combinations.
My work centres a lot around my experiences as a woman, my childhood and tattooing. I work across many different mediums including painting, college, ceramics, textiles and tattooing. I spend a lot of time focusing on my personal interests creating highly saturated pieces often including nods to traditional tattooing.
Natalie Plockova
she/her born 30/9/2004 Czech Republic @natylopka plockovan@gmail.com
Liberty Peters-Murphy
They/Them 22/11/2004 Camden London > Newcastle @LibertyRosePM LibertyRosePM@Gmail.com
Liberty Peters-Murphy is a mixed Media artist whose current practice centres on depicting the internal landscape and creating mappings of the human soul. Researching automatism and atheist spirituality develops on from their Internal Landscape series as a guide to the subconscious and as personal documentation.
The process of creating my latest works involves binding materials, particularly through weaving tubular fabric forms or constructing metal drapery. They involve repetitive motions that cut and tighten themselves to my skin, suggesting themes of routine, attachment and self consumption.
My art is about documenting my life through my own artistic language - using colour and form in a large range of media to do so. In my foundation I focused on sculpture but have spent this year pushing myself to not get comfortable in any one medium.
Anna Robertson
she 09/02/2005 born and based in Newcastle @BIRDGIRLART annafrancescarobertson@gmail.com
my art is mostly centred around being a bird inside a girls body. primarily texture and nest building.
I have a keen interest in the natural world and its connotations with femininity, particularly looking at how women and the environment are seen as inferior to men and capitalism in society. I am currently interested in showing this through expressive movement, whether that be performance art or gestural paintings.
Eline Smith-Litiere
she/her 8/2/2005 Cambridge @elinesl_art
eline.smithlitiere@gmail.com
I am currently exploring the theme of memory within my work, using primarily the medium of collageboth digital and physical, whilst also experimenting with sculpture. The nature of the layered images are parallel to how our memories are adapted and become distorted through time. Some captured. Some faded. Some forgotton.
Madeleine Amy Snow
she/her 19/07/2006
Suffolk-Newcastle @madssnow_art
Madeleinesnow07@gmail.com
I tend to explore the wonders of the human body within my practice. I have explored the way in which we heal, age and deteriorate. I am currently interested in the way the mind manifests itself in the rest of the body.
After exploring portraiture for a period of time, I am currently investigating the effects of environments and body language and how these factors effect the overall atmosphere of a piece. I explore how colours and perspective can highlight and emphasise these factors in a varied way.
Maisie Taylor
she/her 08/18/2006
Chichester West Sussex @maisietaylor.2
Charlie Joshua Stark
He/Him 10/4/2006 Born in Newcaslte Living in Blyth @ch_artli
cj.stark06@yahoo.com
I mainly worked in mixed media, using alot of painted layers and fineliners. But right now i am currently exlopring the different mediums within art to help grow and improve as an aritist.
James Jack Wheeler
He/him, 26/03/2006, Born in Rotherham living in Whitby @jameswheeler.art wheelerj956@gmail.com
Although I came into my first year being most adept with painting, I’ve expanded my style to include performance, wearable art and readymades. My current process feels like peeling away layers of myself to see what else I have - I don’t know what my art will look like by Newbridge!
I’m a movement artist and screendance maker using dance as an ecological, embodied practice with landscapes playing an active partner in my work. My work mostly centres around queer identity, mothering and womaness.
I often work in mixed media using oil paint to complement the sculptural elements of my work. Here I found an old circular saw in a skip and transformed it into a monkey, symbolising the way in which I view myself as a performative monkey, entertaining my peers and friends.
Megan Brown
She/Her born 1996 in Ashington Live in Newcastle @meganbrowndances meganjane1401@gmail.com
I am multidisciplinary artist working in costume creation and design, visual arts, music, and performance art. My work embraces folkloric aesthetics and narratives to explore spirituality, gender, sustainability, and our relationship to the natural world.
I like to create introspective paintings centred around portraiture realism and abstract feelings. At the moment I’m focusing on embracing imperfection in my work, and it’s never been so
A multi-disciplinary artist whose exploratory practice is rooted in the process, spanning painting, sculpture, textiles, and installation. My work delves into themes of women’s roles, health and well-being, inviting reflection on the body, mind, healing, and the nuanced complexities of care
Ruby Taylor
she/her b.2001 Born in Cheshire live in North Tyneside @edgartheoutlaw rubymltaylor@gmail.com
I am a writer and facilitator, working mostly in applied theatre settings. My own writing often explores themes of childhood, mental illness and loss. I have recently been exploring other elements of my practise, including printmaking, zine-making and performance.
Jakarin Ali
B. 1985, (She/Her) a Geordie, born and bred in Newcastle upon Tyne, with South Asian roots in Sylhet, (North East district in Bangladesh) @jakarin_ali Jakarin.ali@gmail.com
Jakarin’s art draws from her journey with identity and the lived experiences of those around her, as well as her work as a social worker. While acrylic seascapes and sunsets bring her solace, her exploration of mixed media captures diverse identities and stories, blending culture, faith, and emotion seamlessly.
Johanna Bolton
she/her, born in Åmål, Sweden living between London and Hartlepool @johanna.bolton johanna@johannabolton.com
I work across sculpture, installation and performance, with the idea of human presence and movement leaving behind memories in material form. By studying something seemingly very simple, the complexities of the world becomes visible. Making art becomes a way to understand more of both the world and myself.
Shannon Hannah Saad
She/ Her, b. 2000, Newcastle Upon Tyne @shannon.hannah.art shannonsaad459@gmail.com
My work focuses on languages, identities, and cultural hybridity, exploring belonging and inbetweenness through writing and performance. I’m working on my debut novel, A Good Girl, while experimenting with interactive performances that integrate storytelling and interdisciplinary media.
My ideas have recently been taking form through photography, print and sculpture. My practice has gone from emphasising memories and perspective to really focusing on natural forms and relinquishing control to the process at hand. By doing this through more abstracted methods of mark making, I allow the piece to come together more naturally, the same way the eco system evolves without force. My most recent example of this is my pottery glaze experiments, which melded the pieces colours and textures in a less controlled and more organic way.
Vivian Jing Ye
she/her, Edinburgh @jingy0109 jingy0109@gmail.com
Rachael Dee Brien
she/her b. 1987 North Tyneside @rachael_d_brien www.rachaeldeebrienart.co.uk rachaeldeebrienart@gmail.com
I use red and blue lines and geometric forms to create a visual language that I communicate through. I use a range of mediums to express my ideas, from textiles to painting, as well as using specific materials for certain pieces (as in ‘parentphernalia’ as shown in image).
