Two: Northern Abstracts runs from 27 January to 10 March and marks the gallery’s second showcase to date
AFTER launchinglate last year with a dynamic selection of works spanning delicate leaf carvings to spray-painted concrete, Saul Hay Gallery may be a relative newcomer but is already becoming a firm fixture on Manchester’s art scene.
Pop in for the launch party and benefit from free delivery on all purchases made on the night
Whilst the first collection of artists ranged from an Iranian champion boxer to a Transylvanian fresco painter - all of whom will be exhibited in the Portico Library and Gallery from 17 February as part of its Saul Hay at The Portico exhibition - Saul Hay’s debut 2017 showcase marks the first in a series of exhibitions centred on one particular theme.
TWO: Northern Abstracts, then, celebrates Northern artists working in abstract painting. As ever, there’ll be something for every budget and persuasion; with leading artists such as Donal Moloney (Visitor’s Choice winner at the John Moores Painting Prize 2016), Lisa Denyer and Martin Nash. What’s more, pop in for the launch party - anytime between 6 and 8.30pm on Thursday 26 January - and benefit from free delivery on all purchases made on the night (plus some sneaky bubbles).
So what’s the inspiration behind the new exhibition?
“We love abstract art and we feel it’s undersold as a genre,” says Ian Hay, who manages the gallery with his wife and fellow avid art collector Catherine. “People often feel like they’re ‘missing something’, and so don’t enjoy it as much as more representative art. We want to encourage people to look at abstract art in its own terms, to be able to immerse themselves in it without the distraction of other genres of art around them.”
And why painting in particular?
“There aren’t many exhibitions in the North West that concentrate purely on painting,” says Catherine. “Also, there really is nothing more appealing than painting on canvas. Some of our favourite artists from our private collection - Andrew Salgado, for example - work in this medium.”
Lisa Denyer’s piece Forest forms part of the exhibition, having previously been displayed in Manchester Chamber of Commerce. She added that - whilst its popularity dipped on the advent of online virtual art - nothing compares to the physical tangibility of painting.
We agree and, with eight internationally-renowned artists, there’s little better way to find out what this medium has to offer than paying a visit to TWO: Northern Abstracts at Saul Hay Gallery.
