A new exhibition by renowned Manchester artist Jen Orpin will be presented at the Saul Hay Gallery in Manchester. The exhibition will explore the significance of the journey, how it links us to the people we love, and the feelings it arouses. The exhibition, which will be on display from March 4 through March 26, honours the car ride by examining its highways and landmarks as well as how it compels each of us to confront our past and let our thoughts venture beyond the boundaries of our immediate surroundings.
Jen says: “My current practice focuses on one of the fundamental elements of human relationships, connecting with each other and those who are closest in our lives. This connection can manifest itself emotionally, spiritually and physically. The latter requires us to come together, meet, see and touch each other. This cannot happen without one crucial act – the journey that takes us to them.
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“My art looks at the relationship we have with the motorway and its landmarks. These visual representations of everyday topographies and the framed view from the car make up and form the basis of memories and nostalgia. The importance of these external landscapes is often mirrored by the internal dialogue of the driver and passenger within the confinements of the car, at times offering an intimate confessional space. The mundanity of these everyday actions often belies the truth of deep routed emotions that come with well-travelled routes to the people and places that mean the most to us.
“In these paintings I aim to portray this feeling – emotionalism is a key element in the success of each one and as a viewer you are forced to look down the road as its sole traveller and undertake each journey as your own. Each bridge or landmark acts as the sitter in the landscape’s portrait, confronting you head on, holding your gaze as your mind travels under and beyond its concrete confinements.”
Orpin is a highly regarded artist whose works are included in domestic and international public and private collections. She has held exhibitions all over the UK, including in Sheffield, Liverpool, and London. She belongs to the Manchester Academy of Fine Arts as an associate member (MAFA).
Every weekend, Jen will be painting in the gallery live, giving her the opportunity to interact with viewers and buyers about her newest body of work.
Ian Hay, Director of Saul Hay Gallery says: “Jen Orpin has, over recent years, become one of the most celebrated painters in Manchester and beyond. Her work is always recognisable and yet constantly evolving. Her brilliantly rendered paintings capture the beauty in what might often be overlooked, and she imbues the everyday landmarks of our lives with great emotion, memory and nostalgia.”
Saul Hay Gallery hosts a vibrant collection of painters, sculptors, printmakers, photographers and ceramicists from the Manchester region and beyond. For more information visit www.saulhayfineart.co.uk.
Opening Hours
10.30 am to 6 pm, Tuesday through Saturday.
10.30 am to 5 pm on Sunday.
Address: Railway Cottage, Off Castle Street, Saul Hay Gallery, Manchester, M3 4LZ
