Sophie Bell heads along to Steve Port’s new exhibition of unique watercolours depicting the abandoned and overlooked corners of the North East
Steve Port’s solo exhibition, Playgrounds, which features a selection of unique watercolour scenes inspired by the mining town of Ashington, is currently being shown at B&D Studios in Newcastle.
The landscapes Port has chosen to depict aren’t the stereotypical Northumbrian sights we are often confronted with. In contrast he has managed to capture the charm and mystique of the abandoned and overlooked corners which are prevalent in all towns and communities throughout the North East. The areas we explore as children that aren’t the safe and sterile playparks prescribed to us by town planners and the humble and overlooked places where everyday lives play out.
There is a relaxed atmosphere within the gallery which reflects the simplistic presentation of Port’s work. The paintings, which have each been pinned, unframed to the wall, hang with an unpolished quality which compliments the neglected subject matter.
The work is surprisingly evocative, the derelict and stark scenes made doubly poignant by their apparent lack of life. The graffiti is the only suggestion that these dark and shadowy places bear witness to our stories and lives.
