Art Lecturer showcased in Queer Contemporaries exhibition

Wed 26 August, 2020
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A Senior Lecturer at the 亚色视频 has been selected to feature in a new virtual and physical art gallery which champions work by LGBTQIA+ artists.

Nigel Grimmer, who teaches Contemporary Arts Practice at the University鈥檚 Luton campus, was selected from over 300 entries to be featured as one of 35 artists in the exhibition..

The lockdown-friendly gallery has been curated by , an artist-led collective, with support from Manchester Pride鈥檚 cultural events calendar, Superbia. The gallery launches today (27th August) and is open for public viewing via

Nigel Grimmer鈥檚 听project, Analogue Disruptions, was selected for this exhibition. It focuses on photographic illusion which plays with the ideas of reality, representation and scale.

Nigel said: 鈥淲ithin this digital age our images now carry the scars of our technology. It鈥檚 becoming increasingly difficult to look past the once invisible surface of the photograph, and enter the illusionary space of the image.

鈥淭he images I鈥檝e included have no editing but I use physical props that look like elements of Photoshop or Instagram editing 鈥 I aim to confuse the viewer, forcing them to question what they see, reminding them that all photography is in some way 'constructed'.鈥

The project features queer models who volunteered to pose for Nigel鈥檚 project through various online and social media platforms, including Instagram and Grindr.

Nigel, who teaches at the University鈥檚 School of Art and Design at Alexon House, based in Luton鈥檚 historic Hat District, said: 鈥淚 think of the shoots as small collaborations, aiming to extend how the queer body is represented.鈥

Short Supply鈥檚 original call out for the Queer Contemporaries display looked for artists in the North West, but the digital nature of lockdown allowed artists from all over the UK to submit artwork for consideration. The event organisers have said that this has led to the wider representation of different perspectives to be included in the showcase.

Mollie Balshaw and Rebekah Beasley, Co-Directors of Short Supply, said: 鈥It鈥檚 a privilege to experience the unique voice of queer artists 鈥 听to see their vision, be taken into their world and to not necessarily be given all the answers.

鈥淭o see someone鈥檚 art and experience something you might never have before, or see something from a perspective you hadn鈥檛 comprehended before, is education without words 鈥 it鈥檚 one of the ways in which art has a unique power to achieve things.鈥 听

Nigel Grimmer鈥檚 diverse art practice is united by his ongoing research which explores the relationship between images created for public or personal consumption, focusing on the origins of the family photo album.

Mollie and Rebekah continued: 鈥Nigel's work brought together a lot of ideas conceptually and visually that we thought were very topical and would fit right into what we were looking for in this showcase.

鈥淗is work plays with ideas of perception, reality and representation and all 听of the questions raised by these works have come into the public鈥檚 consciousness through experiencing the pandemic and lockdown. Nigel鈥檚 work is striking, inviting and visually beautiful but incredibly well-rounded. We wanted to showcase the voices and vision of queer contemporary artists in the present day, and Nigel's work was unmissable for this line-up.鈥澨

The 亚色视频 has a wide range of Art and Design courses available at both Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels, including Photography, Fashion Design and Animation. Follow the School of Art & Design on and visit the School's website for further information: www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/departments/ad

Places on courses for 2020/21 are still available through Clearing 鈥 call the dedicated support team now to discuss your options on 0300 3300 703 or apply directly online via www.beds.ac.uk/clearing

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