The ‘S&M’ Exhibition

Museum Man (top floor of 48 Rodney Street)
4th July - 5th August 2005 (Sat-Sun 2.00pm - 8.00pm, Mon-Fri by appointment only)

Reviewed by Adam Ford

That 'a picture's worth a thousand words' is a saying that is both overused and sometimes just wrong. But the photos in this exhibition - set-up by Catalyst collaborator Colin Serjent and his Red Dot partner in crime Sue Milburn - each have a half hour story behind them.

Though Colin and Sue specialise in abstract images, they have decided to open-up their own private photo albums in a unique show at the Museum Man.

Colin Serjent - supplier of the 'S' - commented that: “So-called ‘snapshots’ play an important role in photography. They are important in representing particular time periods in people’s lives. But sadly they more than likely end-up neglected in the bottom of drawers or in family photograph albums which are seldom looked at.”

Sue Milburn - provider of the 'M' - explained that: “It is a one-off exhibition, which makes it even more special to the two of us. It is about each of us as a person and our individual personalities, rather than promoting our own art work".

Walking through the exhibition is a bizarre experience, kind of like walking through two people’s dreams. Families, personal relations and casual celebrity acquaintances jumble riotously, and the everyday commonplace moments take on new significance on the four walls of the space. There are no captions, so detective work is needed to get any idea of who is who. Stare long enough though and patterns do begin to emerge. Eras and styles get joined-up in your mind, and the viewer begins to compare the images to those from the recesses of their own minds. Often, someone stands in the middle as if they are about to leave, and then the corner of their eye is drawn back to a corner of the room.

This is the new Museum Man’s fourth exhibition, and director Adam Nankervis has created a space that is both incredibly esoteric yet genuinely welcoming and homely. The perfect venue for an exhibition like this really.

To view, contact Adam Nankervis on 0151 703 0569 or 07891 695 577
For more information on Red Dot, visit http://www.red-dotexhibitions.co.uk