‘Artisers’ at Almiro Gallery
Text by Amanda DeAngeles
15/09/06 to 08/10/06
Featured artists: COLIN SERJENT & SUE MILBURN
A stark, brick end-terraced, sits blandly, next to the opulence of The Barbacoa, (one of many drinkerie-eateries) which serves the Sefton area of Merseyside, giving a warm, safe-haven away from the city centre. It has special advantage of being close to beach reserves of beauty – whatever the weather.
My destination tonight is the stark, brick building: ALMIRO GALLERY has been a pioneering, contemporary gallery in this area since October 2005. Brave enough to recognize that gallery spaces are needed outside of the city-centre and close to areas of outstanding natural beauty, which some out-of-towners may not know exist. Inside, Almiro walls are white and brightly lit. I’m offered a glass of wine and my daughter, aged six, lights-up with a lollipop.
The famous exhibition ‘ANOTHER PLACE’ by Anthony Gormley will move on soon, but you can buy some ‘Iron Men’ merchandise from Almiro Gallery to help you remember him, and him, and him too, in years to come when the joints will be stiff and the creaky gate will have rusted more.
Works by Sue Milburn and Colin Serjent are the current display. Initially, their artistic differences will strike you as harshly contrasting, although some themes repeat in markedly different ways. Personally, I think it is fitting that these artists exhibit together.
The link at the top of the page will provide more information about each artist. I will tell you what I have learned:
Sue has a slightly zany, self-effacing, bubbly personality, which opposes her meticulous, time-consuming love for something bright and beautiful. She uses a vibrant colour-palette and most of her works are variations on the theme of spectrum colours, light and waves. A trio of blended skies resembles irresistible, eye-shadow cosmetics.
Drifting across . . .
Colin is sensitive, reassuring and has weathered many storms to provide non-digitally enhanced photographs: most of his work is old film-reel in colouring –not black and white, (which seems to be a la mode just now) but browns and creams. He has a neutral and interesting use of focus and light. Colin is also a wordsmith and titles his images with some intriguing tags. These emphasize the moment of the shot and capture his mood in a frame.
• SKIN DEEP is out of focus flesh from an aerial vantage point, maybe.
• In NOCTURNE; Colin views the decay of another artists work: paper bubbles like black wallpaper newly hung, though it is more likely to be an old fly poster never removed and weather worn. I see a feint overlay of a foot upturned, and it entices me to recall WB Yeats – “Tread softly for you tread on my dreams.