Last weekend, 27 April, I went to the preview of Creative Rage – an exhibition of powerful multi-media pieces by members of the UK-based progressive LGBTQ artistic community. If you want to catch it, it now runs until 2 September at The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent. Here’s some of my favourite images, a bit of background, and a little practical information.
NB: Creative Rage is advertised as not suitable for under 18s. Some images are sexually explicit; the majority aren’t. None that are are included here in this article.
What is Creative Rage?
Martin Green and James Lawler from Duovision curated this exhibition, which includes paintings, photography, film, print and ceramics from three generations of hard-hitting LGBTQ artists.
Considering themes such as gender fluidity, among others, the majority of pieces are proudly non-conformist, flamboyant, and striking.
Exhibiting Artists
I was keen to see pieces by exhibiting artists I already know and love. They are Jamie Mcleod, Mark Wardel, and especially singer Marc Almond OBE – of whose music I’ve been a huge, lifelong fan.
Collages 2017-18 by Marc Almond OBE (click on individual images to enlarge)
Untitled by Jamie Macleod, 2017 (click on individual images to enlarge)
But I was also delighted to be introduced to the work of many artists with whom I hadn’t previously been familiar. I’ve included below some of their pieces that I liked most.
For me, the most striking of the work by artists I was discovering for the first time on the night were three by Sadie Lee. Marrying imagery from classical paintings including flora and cherubs in the background, with sexually explicit subjects in the foreground, the startling juxtaposition of such intentionally incongruous images smacked me in the face in the way art should do from time to time. You’ll need to go and see them for yourself!
The other exhibiting artists not already mentioned are Andrew Logan, Chelsea Berlin, Chris Turrell-Watts, David Holah, David Hoyle, David Lock, David Wightman, Derek Jarman, Duggie Fields, Jeffrey Hinton, John Lee Bird, ladypat, Mandy McCartin, Matthew Stradling, Michael James O’Brien, Paul Kindersley, Trojan, Whitaker Malem and Wilfrid Wood. Pieces by some of them are in my pictures below.
The exhibition is supported by Arts Council England, Homotopia, and Jean Milton, Andrew Branscombe and Helen Cann from The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery.
Some of My Favourite Pieces
David Holah’s Brunette 2010; Redhead 2010; and Blond 2012
Andrew Logan: Divine
Visiting the Creative Rage Exhibition
Creative Rage runs until 2 September 2018 at:
The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery
Bethesda Street
Hanley
Stoke-on-Trent
Staffordshire
ST1 3DW
T: 01782 232323
E: museums@stoke.gov.uk
www.stokemueseums.org.uk
Times: Mon-Sat 1000-1700; Sunday 1100-1600
Prices: Tickets £5, concessions £3
Where is Stoke-on-Trent?: Stoke-on-Trent is a city in Staffordshire, England, UK. There’s lots of information about how to get there on the VisitStoke website