Abstract

This retrospective exhibition celebrates the work of renowned north-east contemporary artist Sally Madge (1946-2020). Her rich multimedia output embraces ceramics, painting, sculpture, collage, film, installation and performance in countless contributions and collaborations in solo and group shows at home and abroad.

Recurring themes of power and identity, our sense of animality, and the magic of coastal spaces are manifest in ground-breaking installations, rousing performances and more modest pieces where surprising juxtapositions deploy unusual, scorned or neglected materials skilfully crafted and grafted to reflect impulses drawn from intimate resonance and daily life.

Seasoned with characteristically mischievous wit and wisdom to intrigue and delight but also unsettle and challenge, Sally’s work aims to nurture reinvention and reimagination in the practice and reception of artistic endeavours as well as wider society – illustrating the potential unlocked if arbitrary rules and distinctions constraining personal relations and creative expression are transgressed in exploring new ways to operate in the world.