Preview: Josie Brookes – View from Nowhere @ Northern Print

In February last year, Warm Digits released a rather vivid and striking video to their single The View From Nowhere. These animated visuals were created by Josie Brooks (in collaboration with Tom Madge of Animatecity), a Newcastle-based illustrator who specialises in illustration with a focus on colour experimentation, collage and print making techniques. From Wednesday 15th September to Saturday 16th October Ouseburn based print studio and gallery Northern Print will be exhibiting bold screenprints and risographs by Josie, inspired by and developed from the original animated visuals she created for the music video.

The song refers to the mid-century approach to psychotherapy, where the therapist removes the ‘self’ from their view of the patient. Inspired by this, Josie uses bold sequences of geometric print, ink and collage to explore ideas of identity and someone working to separate themselves from their humanity.

Josie talked more about her work in an article in Pressing Matters (a printmaking magazine) “I have used this exhibition as an opportunity to reconnect with my love of print…and to play! I enjoy layering work and experimenting with different processes and had fun mixing up techniques to create the pieces for ‘View from Nowhere’. The support of Northern Print throughout has been invaluable and I’m so grateful to have been able to create in such an encouraging environment.”

Incidentally, Emma Pollock (formerly of the Delgados) who was on vocal duties for the song is performing alongside BMX Bandits at Cluny 2 on 9 Oct as part of Hapless Weekend festival.