Impressive prizewinning artists debut in ‘One Year On’ at Waterside Arts

The Waterside Arts Centre in Sale boasts a sublime gallery space with plenty of window light and floor to ceiling space. Their latest show ‘One Year On’ presents the four prizewinners from last year’s Open competition.

One of the great aspects to this is that it gives these artists a golden opportunity to showcase more of their work so the public’s favourites, along with the jurors selection gets to see a more in-depth display. As part of Waterside’s remit they also support, encourage and promote visual arts in the North West. I have been involved in some of the portfolio sessions they have organised through Creative Industries Trafford and Castlefield Gallery in Manchester city centre, and if you get the chance to be a part of these sessions I’d highly recommend it.

The organisers have chosen to select a wide ranging variety of media from painting, sculpture, jewellery and assemblage. Each artist has their own specific style and its clear to see the different mediums and processes they use to create distinctive, unique pieces of art.

From the dysfunctional, eerie representational paintings of female consumer imagery by Tilly Dagnall to the serene, unflappable abstract paintings by Ewa Konior and imaginative natural world paintings of Julia Milns. They sit in harmonious juxtaposition next to the intimate assemblage boxes of found imagery and objects by Steve Talbot, who is paralleled against Stacey Louise Hill’s sculptural jewellery pieces. Both objects of beauty, both small in size yet large in life. Stacey’s obsession with mineral and crystal formations ties in well with the surrounding paintings and I love her experimental approach to colour and material. Very much part of my own agenda as a visual artist.