John Henry Newton: Sun Bleached Stills from a Number of Films

About

As proposed by its name, the space was formerly a bank, the glass windows that were used to transact and communicate are still intact – albeit blocked by wooden panelling, shrouded in the shadows of UV film, scaffolding and fellow concrete. The building shows its scars well, with specific past times locatable through its architectural features. Similar to the city, it is a scattering accumulation of clues – as if the building could be read as a detective novel. Perhaps the murder is a graffito scraped into a toilet door or a note dropped in the haste of an exit.

It is clear that the space is frequently used for the purpose of display, in an ever-changing arrangement of walls and plinths. Objects come and go aseasily as individual dreams: each object an investment in time, an anchor temporarily placed out of context. In 'Sun Bleached Stills from a Number of Films', Newton’s work acts as a mirror, attempting to create a display that is not just in the space but 'of' the space. Newton turns the gallery into a ‘black box recorder’, aiming to salvage its own history - via stories from the artist’s personal connection to it - masking the space in a story telling voice. This connection stems from his background as a student at the University, located in the adjacent building.

John Henry Newton (Swindon, UK 1988) lives and works in London. His work has been exhibited internationally, including shows at FRUTTA, Rome: MOSTYN, Wales. This year Newton will also participate in Nouveau Festival at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. 

'Sun Bleached Stills from a Number of Films' runs alongside a series of public events, including a symposium featuring talks by artist and photographer Minnie Weisz and architect Benedict O’Looney. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication featuring an essay by MOSTYN Visual Arts Programme Curator Adam Carr.

Curated by: 
Iveta Filipov | Leana Lovell Gardner | Silvia Meloni | Kornelia Pawlukowska | Thomas Stokmans