A short film about the exhibition by Headspace Bolton with Jeremiah Quinn

person or persons unknown

paintings by David Gledhill

Hive Gallery

Market Place

Bolton

BL1 1AL

Saturday September 2 – Sunday October 15

Open Fridays and Saturdays 1-5pm.

Preview: Saturday 2 September 2-5pm

As we plunge ever deeper into a culture of self-branding, person or persons unknown celebrates unknown C20th citizens who experienced some of the most drastic upheavals in history.

Based on snapshots, studio portraits and official records collected from flea markets across Europe, the exhibition explores the limits of analogue photography as an apparently ‘objective’ medium and its relationship to the portrait tradition in painting.

Drawing on a range of photographic material produced between the 1920s and 1960s, person or persons unknown reveals how, at times of ideological pressure, individuality can be suppressed socially, politically and through representational practices. Reinvesting a sense of human presence into documents and keepsakes that have been lost, misplaced or discarded, it demonstrates the enduring fascination of the human image.

For more information or to make an appointment to view the exhibition outside gallery hours contact David Gledhill at davidgledhillartist@gmail.com.

The ‘Rogue Winter Fayre’ is an opportunity to visit the work spaces of more than 85 leading contemporary artists. Rogue artists work across media including drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, collage, glass, textiles, film, photography, sound art, performance and assemblage, and will be on hand over the weekend to welcome visitors to our magnificent Grade 2 listed buildings. In addition to the Open Studios, Rogue’s brand new Project Space, acclaimed by Time Out Manchester as one of the best art galleries in the city, will host an exhibition of work by studio artists. All are welcome to the opening night party on Friday 2 December from 6-9pm.

16 June – 11 August 2022

I’m delighted to be exhibiting Herr und Frau Schmeida in this show at The Whitaker in Rawtenstall. Sixty Drawings + Ten explores, defines and celebrates the practice and the locality of drawing in its diverse forms. Artists from a range of different disciplines who exhibited in the first exhibition in 2012 in Manchester, will present a new work, alongside other selected artists to celebrate a decade of the project’s development and to exhibit at The Whitaker.

The curatorial theme remains the consistent thread running through all iterations of the project, which continues to pose such key questions as: where can drawing be situated in an artist’s practice? Does it come after, before or during? Is drawing secondary or primary?

Sixty Drawings + Ten is accompanied by a dedicated project website designed by ToBeContent which delivers images, biographies and statements from all participating artists, along with a range of associated material: here.

A film about the exhibition ‘the experience of history’ at Rogue Project Space in Manchester. This show featured work from three major projects undertaken between 2013 and 2019.

A short film about winter compiled from 8mm home movies shot in the USA, Germany and Hungary between 1945 and 1975. With thanks to all the original filmmakers, wherever they are.

For more information on the Otto Schmeida paintings see under ‘Projects’.