“Autumn is here but don’t worry The Jam Factory has an amazing line up of events, classes and exhibitions, for you to check out this month,’ promises arts manager Eleanor Monk.
The unique venue is both a bar/restaurant and creative hub that hosts various artistic groups and has regularly changing exhibitions throughout the year, many of which run concurrently.
Look out for exciting new works from emerging artists Imogen Nokes and Reuben Worlledge as well as a very thought-provoking painting exhibition exploring the ethics of autopsy, as part of Being Human Festival.
Take recent Oxford Brookes graduate Imogen Nokes who creates vibrant screenprints and paintings that fluctuate between abstraction and representation, in an exploration of horizon lines, vanishing points, and shapes that bend towards the viewer
Her multi-media compositions use light and colour to explore the natural dialogue of man-made and natural elements in our landscape. The lines of a pathway or hedge intersect before the vanishing point, as a beam of sunlight blurs the boundaries of perspective with one stroke of a squeegee. (Until 11th November)
“The Oxford Brookes Fine Art Degree show is always fantastic, so we had a difficult time selecting an artist to exhibit with us,” Eleanor says.
“Imogen stood out as the perfect autumnal exhibitor, with a playful approach to analysing the compositions of the english countryside, and a colour palette that keeps things bright at The Jam Factory as the days grow darker. I’m hoping this exhibition encourages us all to go on autumnal walks and notice the geometric compositions of the natural landscape before us,”
Geometry of Feeling by Reuben Worlledge (until Nov 18) whose current photographs, currently on show, are mirrored in the exposed structure of The Jam Factory Gallery, means‘Geometry of Feeling’ will become part of the architecture.
“Reuben Worlledge observes a rare, harmonious silence amongst the noise of urban cityscapes. This black and white series explores how buildings and spaces organise our urban landscapes to create landmarks, patterns and geometric shapes,” Eleanor observes.
“There’s something so peaceful about Reuben’s photography, which is surprising when you imagine the background noise of the city as the shutter clicks. His use of negative space creates a sense of detachment from what we know a cityscape to be, as we admire the lines and patterns of urban architecture in a somewhat meditative practice.
And last but not least is Beyond the Body: A Portrait of Autopsy, a large, thought-provoking painting exhibition exploring the ethics of autopsy, as part of Being Human Festival. (Until Nov 25).
The exhibition is a collaborative project between social scientist Halina Suwalowska and artist Anna Suwalowska, organised by the Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities.
“This is such a powerful and exciting exhibition, in that it combines the arts and sciences to discuss deeply complex ethical questions in a way that’s accessible to artists, researchers and everyone else!
Recognised as ‘learning from the dead’, autopsy has been of significant importance to medicine andscience, but often a painful concern of the living.
This art exhibition is inspired by narratives of people involved in post mortem procedures, depicting ethical dilemmas presented by the practice of examining the body across different cultures.
Artist Anna Suwalowska has collaborated with Social Scientist Halina Suwalowska to create the stunning large scale mixed media paintings that explore the ethics of autopsy across different cultures with respect and sensitivity.
“The room glows with a presence that questions whether there’s life in death after all,” Eleanor concludes.
The Jam Factory is at
4 Hollybush Row
Oxford
OX1 1HU
Tel: 01865 244613
