In March 2006 Novellus Castellum curated a group exhibition of emerging artists, performers, filmmakers and musicians from the North East. From the live music of Cathode, to performance artists RudeBoy Noah and Chris Rollen. Visual artists with considerable exhibition experience were participating alongside the finest recent graduates from two of the best art schools in the country: The University of Newcastle upon Tyne and Northumbria University.

This show was a multi-disciplinary event which expressed a vibrancy that exists in the North-East, a chrysalis for inspired art, music and film. It will took place in venues across the city Gallery North and the Project Space at Northumbria University, the Long Gallery at Newcastle University at Morden Tower, and at one of the most exciting new galleries in the UK: Workplace, Gateshead.

The Long Gallery, Newcastle University
Phil Marsden, Ant Macari & Graeme Walker


In Phil Marsden's work 'The Fucking middle of nowhere' he uses a comic strip which traces an unsettling and crazy dialogue between to characters one with a cowboy hat and the other with a wrestlers mask. Eventually they both turn guns on each other. Ant Macari's 'Im loving it your way' complements this work, using an exquisite paper robot (made from a map found on the internet), which communicates with a hapless hamburger. Graeme Walkers 'You are now entering the real world'* reinterprets an exit sign and makes us ponder what world we are in, and what’s real or not. All three of the works have a existential quality that mockingly questions life.

Workplace Gallery, Gateshead
Andrew Chadwich, Richard Rigg, Ebony Andrews, James Johnson-Perkins & Graeme Walker

Andrew Chadwick work displays a mathematic obsession with Polyhedra, like Macari he uses a modal to create objects. In 'International Kidney, Shetland Black' he re-represents two English potato species, These are obviously a metaphor for two large testicles and this is emphasised by the Playboy magazine displayed on the table alongside. Richard Riggs also re-represents objects but in a slightly different way. In 'No More nails' he makes nails from no nails glue and in 'Title' he exhibits a title which is the title of itself. In contrast Ebony Andrews makes objects using taxidermy which and are startlingly unusual and crafty such as in 'Meep' which has a Rat head in the form of a hunting prize. In the Upstairs gallery James Johnson-Perkins’ work ZX Spectrum is a full length video of an episode of the A-Team transformed into ZX Spectrum 8 bit Graphics.

This was not part of Workplace's general program

Novellus Castellum would like to thank Paul Moss and Miles Thirlow for donating thier gallery space to use for this part of the events program.

Gallery North, Northumbria University
Paul Moss, Matthew Cowan, James Johnson-Perkins, Starboard Home

In 'Word' Paul Moss' uses shapes from Microsoft Word made in sparklene and conteboard and contrasts these with a striking three dimensional optical illusion 'The possibilities are endless', these works harmonize well with Johnson-Perkins’ ‘Gauntlet’ a selection of large scale Lego robots which are both totemic and charming. These two artists works are both quirky and eccentric in similarity to Matthew Cowan’s ‘Pieces of plum pudding’ which shows a biomechanics video trace of a Morris Jig’ form the village of Bleddington’ performed by the artist himself.

In the Project Space Starboard Home (Susie Green and Illana Michell) presented thier stunning new video work in the project space which comprised of live music performaces from some of the best bands in the North-East.

Morden Tower
RudeBoy Noah, Chris Rollen, Film Bee, Cathode

In RudeboyNoahs ‘Performance no.12’, he transforms himself from a wrapped up cocoon into a fully fledged chav, including ghetto blaster and tracksuit. Acting both drunk and disorderly. This was followed by Chris Rollens astonishing ‘Gingham a era semic eht’ performance. Here the artist performs on guitar and vocals Bob Dylan ‘The times are changing backwards’, which is recorded and then played backwards. We were then treated to a selection of charming films made by the Film Bee film collective which specialise in using old 16 and 35 millimetre film equipment. To round of the event Cathode the North-East based one man electronica outfit presented us with a miscellany of live entrancing sound works.

*This work was also shown in Workplace and Gallery North

Panel Discussion, Bridge Hotel

Illana Mitchell - Director of Platform North-East and Starboard Home
Susie Green - Artist and co-director of Starboard Home
Helen Smith - Director of Waygood Gallery
RudeBoyNoah- Artist and Organiser for Novellus Castellum

Discussion Topic “What is the potential for national and international exposure of the North-East art Scene’

This was a thought provoking and lively discussion about the potential of the North-East’s art scene. The discussion panellists talked at length about the North-East and how each worked within it. It was agreed that ‘Something was happening’ and that 2006 is a significant time for change and action. The art critic Paul Usherwood, who was in the audience talked about the influence of the Baltic and alluded to the fact it may be harmful to the do-it yourself ethics that that small art organisations have had great success with. A lot was said about how other art organisations need to up their ante and increase their international profiles. That more needs to be written critically in the art press about independent art events in the area and that there is a need for a Newcastle arts festival akin to the Liverpool Bienalle.