Exhibitions- Dark Matter at the Whitworth and printing at the DLI

Have been immersed in reading/research for my latest essay on Expressionism and Constructivism completely forgot to post about two exhibitions that I visited recently.

Dark Matter, at the Whitworth until January 15th was surprisingly well worth seeing!!!! Various 3d, film and performances related to shadows were on display where I had expected to see Victorian Pre-Raphaelites when I visited Manchester a few weeks ago. A little disappointed at first (although much better viewing for James) I followed the guide.  Upside down decaying trees with their rotting branches (not one of the shadow exhibits) at the front of the Gallery failed to impress.
However, walking in front of a huge screen ( Snow Mirror) covered in a snowstorm of pixels that coalesced into Banksy style outlines, directed by a computer, of the viewer did!!! Rozin's other exhibit, Peg Mirror was also interesting. Another favourite was the revolving table of tiny figures and strange cellophane shapes by Brass Art, whose shadows projected onto the cavernous walls of a large open space to create eerie cave  drawing like shadows. Idris Khans superimposition of multiple layers of text with Leonard's Mona Lisa and the virgin child was effective and interesting in the first image but lost its novelty value when seen in two other different images. Multiple images of 30 found pencils again was interesting in the first few immaculately executed drawings but lost its appeal

The same conclusion was reached when a similar idea, only connected with lithograph prints painstaking reproduced from graph paper pictures of stages in the drawing of a line curve ( used in the past for those hideous metallic thread nail pictures of curves from lines) was viewed two weeks ago at the DLI in Durham. However three or four amazing black and white lithographs of paintbrushes, pliers and two large scale portraits made this exhibition worth a quick visit. There was also a small print by one of the Turner Prize contenders......to find out which you'll have to go and visit the DLI which is a small modern gallery above the thought provoking Durham Light Infantry Museum-which includes beautiful medals and uniforms as well as vehicles etc. It is located very close to Durham city with a large car park and a tiny cafe that has very nice home made cakes and scones which can be eaten with a view of the pond and ducks.