Have you visited the Black Garden Painting Exhibition by Bruce McLean yet? If not, we have the perfect opportunity for you. Gallery Lates is back and this event is dedicated to exploring Mclean’s vibrant new works. Book online to join in a free immersive live art experience, presenting the best in local music, dance and visual art in our gallery and café.
Meet the artist
Join Bruce Mclean for the ‘Northern launch’ of his latest film ‘The Decorative Potential of Blazing Factories.’ A collaboration between McLean and director-producer Gary Chitty, this is anything but a conventional film. Starring over 50 sheets of foamboard, paint and cardboard characters puppeteering with sticks, it pokes fun at aspects of the art world with its deliberately grandiose plot and quirky characters.
Enjoy local music
DJ Rich Bee will bring you the best in afrobeats, disco and soul music. Rich Bee is a DJ local to Leicester who has played in venues such as O2 Academy Leicester and is part of the band Funk Nation who have played at Leicester’s Brew Beat festival. Take a seat or have a little boogie with a drink or grab a bite to eat from Chez Sebastien Artisan Pizza Truck at the doorstep of Attenborough Arts Centre, serving hot food all evening.
Get Creative
Sharpen your pencil as we have not one, but TWO life drawing sessions running in the gallery from 8:30-10:00 with the life drawing model adopting poses paying homage to McLean’s ground-breaking ‘Pose Work For Plinths’ series of photographs. Fancy creating your own black garden? Let your imagination run free with our drop-in plant pot painting workshop. Use posca pens to create vibrant shapes and patterns inspired by the beautiful Black Garden Paintings on display in the gallery. The best part – we’re even going to be planting some mystery seeds for you to create your very own garden in a pot!
Strike a pose
Express yourself and bust out some shapes because in the main gallery we are opening up the floor to you. Strike your most iconic pose in front of McLean’s paintings or with one of the plinths in the space. Take a snap using our instax cameras and see your pose come to life instantly in a photograph. Add to a collaborative wall of pose work photos or share your photo with friends and on social media with the #AACPose tagging @attenboroughac
Caption: McLean at the opening of the Black Garden Paintings Exhibition.
Experience unique live performances
Unique live performances will be happening all evening with Tight Rope Collective. Be mesmerized by Jamal Sterrett’s dance performance ‘BRUK UP – The components that make me whole.’ Stemming from bruk up, flexn and ballet, Jamal uses the heightened senses of his Asperger’s alongside these styles to transmute and embody site specific locations through dance. Feel moved by Jack Britton’s ‘Stomping Grounds’ An emotional and sincere performance that portrays the Parkour community in an authentic way. Join us in the main gallery for Lindset Warnes’ ‘Why I Swim Part One – Push, don’t pull where a small group of synchronised swimmers rehearse indoors; lido-less but not love-less as they glide through the gallery, sharing thoughts, feelings and paper.
Join us in Celebrating 25 years of Creativity
This Gallery Late is both a special celebration of McLean’s work and Attenborough Arts Centre’s 25 years of exciting, diverse events and opportunities for the local community and beyond.
Free for all, with food and drink available. Book online and come dressed to impress, expect an ambient atmosphere with exploratory good vibes to start your weekend off in style.
Pose will be happening on Friday 30 September, 7pm – 11pm at Attenborough Arts Centre.
