Not only does it boast some spectacular exhibits, but the converted flour mill has a viewing platform high on level 5, giving you a cracking view across the Tyne (all access to the Baltic is free)! If you get the train to Newcastle at the start of each term and you’re frustrated by not getting a longer view of all the Tyne’s bridges, then the Baltic is the place for you.
A sense of creating moments frozen in time
At the beginning of last month, the Baltic began showing an art exhibition by the twin artists, Rachel and Laura Lancaster. Born and raised in the Northeast, the two sisters showcase their separate art styles together for the first time. Laura’s work is created by the precise smearing of paint to draw together an image, using blending and colour to evoke memory and experience. To me, her paintings seem reminiscent of 1930s scenes of white bathing costumes and children in the surf. Whereas Rachel’s work is much more premeditated, using layers of thin oil paints to create images reminiscent of home videos, also rooted in memory. Both Laura and Rachel discuss producing work on ideas of the analogue, a sense of creating moments frozen in time, and thus ensuring the ordinary is special. If you’re interested in the specifics of their creation, then the Baltic has produced a short film to watch at the museum, interviewing the Lancasters on their craft.
The sisters remarked on how nice it was to see their work hung, instead of stacked in their studio
One of the main things that struck me when I went to see the art was the sheer size of the space. In the interview, the sisters remarked on how nice it was to see their work hung, instead of stacked in their studio, and the gallery chosen for the display was perfect for the job. Wide and pale with light flooring, the gallery ensured that the vibrant art drew the viewer with its richness. Both women had paintings of quite some size, and it was mesmerising to see them in the context of a larger space, especially with Laura, as her paintings almost had more clarity from distance.
Laura’s work was as though attempting to recall a blurry memory, where only the feeling of it can be pictured clearly, where Rachel’s work was like seeing clear pictures through that thin haze the sun makes at dawn.
I massively enjoyed this exhibition and would definitely recommend it.