past exhibition | Nicola Dale: Head On | 9 - 21 May 2023
Bobinska Brownlee gallery is delighted to present Head On, a performative participatory exhibition of sculptures that invite the viewer in.
Dale writes 'I have come to feel that a sole focus on what sculpture looks like no longer serves the objects I make.'
In Head On, Dale's sculptures may be placed on the head, or hang off it. They may contain more than one occupant. They may be held up, mulled over, turned whichever way up or differently placed.
Each piece combines sight with touch at the locus of encounter.
In Head On, Dale's works are open to completion by the audience. Dale says 'what interests me here are the ways in which sculptural volume can be both implied and mutable. By inhabiting a sculpture, an audience member becomes it, no longer able to see it from a distance. Each becomes the viewed as well as the viewer. Within the collapsed distance, a horizon of touch can be repeatedly established, reached and mediated anew'.
An artist born, living and working in the north of England, Dale has been influenced by the mainly Victorian memorials or war monuments - and occasionally the kind of public project with the sad air of forced fun - to be found there. She says 'I see sculpture drift further and further away from public consciousness. The positive side of this, however, is that there is a space for something else to happen: for me, this calls for work at a human, one-to-one scale. Let each sculpture meet each person head on!’
Perhaps if someone can 'become' sculpture, they can feel closer to art more generally, and perhaps 'objecthood' can be an avenue to other world views and possibilities.
Nicola Dale works with sculpture and performance to explore objecthood. She performs in public galleries and platforms in the UK and abroad, including The Hepworth Wakefield (March 2023); The Grundy; Backlit; MOSTYN; Turner Contemporary and The Whitworth. She has taken part in numerous solo and group exhibitions and international residencies. Her work is held in several public collections. She is based in Stockport.
PV: Thursday 11th May 5-8pm with the artist.
The artist is also in the gallery on Saturday 20 May 2-6pm for informal tours of the show.
Head On tours
These tours are free; please contact the gallery for further info or to book a place, as numbers are limited
Saturday 13 May 3-5pm: POSE & POISE TOUR
Join artist Nicola Dale for a performative tour of ‘Head On’ focusing on pose and poise.
Nicola has made a series of sculptures that invite the viewer in. They may be placed on the head, or hang off it. They may contain more than one occupant. They may be held up, mulled over, turned whichever way up or differently placed.
Each sculpture presents a different shape, mood and colour – what kinds of poses do they invite? Can we work it out together?
This tour is for anyone who enjoys experimenting with balance, stillness and form.
Sunday 14 May 3-5pm: MOVEMENT & SOUND TOUR
Join artist Nicola Dale for a performative tour of ‘Head On’ focusing on movement and sound.
Nicola has made a series of sculptures that invite the viewer in. They may be placed on the head, or hang off it. They may contain more than one occupant. They may be held up, mulled over, turned whichever way up or differently placed.
Each sculpture has a different shape, colour and mood. What kinds of sound and movement do these headpieces encourage? Will we move as a group or in isolation? Make a pleasant choir? Or a terrible racket?
This tour is for anyone who enjoys experimenting with words, tones, sounds and related movements
Friday 19 May 3-5pm: PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP
Join artist Nicola Dale to develop a performance using the works in ‘Head On’.
Nicola has made a series of sculptures that invite the viewer in. They may be placed on the head, or hang off it. They may contain more than one occupant. They may be held up, mulled over, turned whichever way up or differently placed.
This is an invitation to artists, performers, improvisers and experimenters to develop a performance using the different shapes, moods and colours of the sculptures as a jumping off point. What can we come up with as a group?
Sunday 21 May 3-5pm: A QUIET VIEW
Would you be interested in attending a different kind of private view? A ‘quiet view’ free from clamour and noise, with a calm and restful atmosphere?
On the final day of the exhibition, the artist invites you to join her as she reflects on the works in the show. This seated event, with accompanying refreshments, will present an alternative view of the work, focusing on speech rather than action.
As with previous tours, there will be opportunity to handle/wear the works, but for this event only, we are offering you the chance to have your portrait taken wearing the work.
This event and the portrait are FREE and we can assist with transport costs. Please let us know how best to make coming to the gallery possible and comfortable for you, whether it’s about transport, disability access or anything else.
Images: Darren Nixon
Publication: a commissioned essay about the exhibition by critic, curator and poet Cherry Smyth is available from the gallery or as a pdf here and here.
Head On is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England