My visit: July 2025.
Cost: Free !
What was it?
Exhibition at SlugTown gallery in Shieldfield, Newcastle by artist Lucien Anderson. My photos aren’t the best, so please go see the exhibition to see the artworks in person !! Writing like this is new to me & I don’t know if I am the best person to write about fine art (with my graphic design background) but hopefully my point of view demonstrates my enjoyment and appreciation for the exhibition!!
Why it mattered to me:
This was my first time at Slugtown I’ve walked past loads of times but never actually visited the gallery space. My favourite artworks in the exhibition were the x3 wall hanging pieces with tall totem like shapes and organic textures from a distance the shapes all blur into one. But as I got closer I noticed more small delicate details and the landscapes that the sculptures hold stacked together. They are beautifully lit by candles melting into the work and as your eyes move down the sculptures there is a mix of scale within the buildings and scenes. It felt like the more you looked there was a story unfolding with a central character in the stove.
My takeaway:
The quietness and gentle candlelight in the space made it feel special as you walked round, and I enjoyed that the candles were burning onto the sculptures as if they were alive and constantly changing. It gave the idea of impermanence like each visitor would experience a slightly different version of the sculptures, depending on when they saw it.
The Slugtown team told me that on the preview evening, the night before, the only light came from the candles on the sculptures- it sounded beautiful – love that idea.
Vibe:
I loved the exhibition guide – this non traditional size made it feel like an important accompanying piece to hold the poetry & text in. After reading more about the exhibition I found out that Lucien’s influences include film & moving image and as you experience the vertical levels of the sculptures it reflects frames of a film. Also, the exhibition explores themes of survival and isolation along coastlines, which makes sense to me as in the gallery as you move closer toward each sculpture in such close proximity it echoes this isolation and importance of each piece.
My fave part of the exhibition were the faces in the stoves they immediately stand out and bring a human character to the pieces amongst the textures, shapes and levels. Deffo recommend a visit if you are in the Ouseburn / Shieldfield – there is an event with the artist next Saturday 26 July too!
