Workman

25th - 30th November 2016
​The Unthank Art Space

Hannelore Smith
Marion Stuart
Kieta Jackson
Mike Stokes
Scott Stuart

​As technologically manufactured goods rise in importance, the skills and craftsmanship of the previous generation diminishes.
In contemporary society only traces remain, an echo left of this world of the workman.
 
Marion Stuart, Kieta Jackson, Mike Stokes, Hannelore Smith and Scott Stuart respond to the Workman; themes include family heritage, the craft of our forefathers, boatbuilding and the weaving industry, the once booming coalmines, construction and architecture.
 
Material culture and the relationship between the maker, their knowledge and the tools of the craft are referenced within the exhibition. The workman is immortalised through representations of tools of the trade. Often industrial materials are at the centre of creative exploration; sheet metal and wire, engine oil and the spirit level are utilised.  Structure, architecture and engineering are integral to the spaces in which we live and work and define the activity of the maker.
 
The venue has been selected as it mirrors the theme: the building itself is in transition from utilitarian purpose to a centre for the arts.  The space is in a state of flux, being worked and adapted for a new use.