WHAT IS THIS HUBBUB? to Open at Warrington Museum, Examining Social Media and News
Culcheth artist Mark Bradley's nearly 70 oil paintings will fill Warrington Museum and Art Gallery.
An exhibition which explores our place within a digital world has opened at Warrington Museum and Art Gallery. Culcheth artist Mark Bradley has taken inspiration from the relentless flow of news cycles and social media algorithms we are bombarded by on a daily basis for a body of work called What is this Hubbub?
The show features almost 70 oil paintings in a variety of formats and sizes which are arranged in a seemingly random way to mimic the overwhelming sensation of scrolling through a social media feed with no overarching narrative to follow.
Most of the works present anonymous figures and fragments of scenes painted with expressionistic brush marks and in vivid colours to encourage viewers to apply their own interpretation and meaning to each piece.
Mark, a retired arts teacher and former head of department for fine art at Carmel Sixth Form College in St Helens, is largely influenced by social, political and global issues and competing narratives thrust upon us in a never-ending stream of information.
But the paintings in response are intentionally ambiguous – with viewers invited to question what is being presented to them and what lies beyond the frame. What would they do or how would they feel if they were part of this scene?
Mark, who was part of the Manchester Artist Studio Association which helped establish Castlefield Gallery, said: “There are clues in the imagery and titles, but I want viewers to make their own decisions about what the work may be about.
“The work has been inspired by issues such as refugees and asylum seekers, the Gaza war, AI, media, ‘fake news', Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the rise of the political right and its consequences.
“It's actually been really difficult at times working with these themes. However, my working process is slow – and selecting colours, marks and developing compositions gives a change of focus.
“When you walk into a gallery, the world goes on hold. Hopefully, the viewer also slows down and experiences the imagery at this slower pace. They hopefully question what they see more deeply than things would they see on social media.”
In an era where truth is often questioned and political and social issues have left people feeling polarised, the exhibition invites visitors to take a step back and adopt the role of a witness.
To respond rather than observe, to question what they see and avoid jumping to the quickest or easiest conclusions.
Mark, who has lived in Culcheth since he was 10 and attended Twiss Green Community Primary and Culcheth High School, added: “We all have life experience. No matter what our background and identity is, we have all felt love, happiness, sadness and fear, and although few of us have experienced war we can bring empathy to a situation.
“Our own situations may not be as extreme, but we are all human. It is the human bit that I want people to become aware of in themselves. I want them to question things beyond the gallery and how others may feel in those situations.”
Lifelong Liverpool FC fan Mark was originally inspired to delve into social issues through his practice after being deeply affected by the Hillsborough tragedy.
He said: “I remember watching the Hillsborough disaster on TV and being horrified at what unfolded. In addition to the tragic loss of life, there followed lies perpetuated in the media and by the police which lead to injustice for so many families.
“Here you have three issues that have found their way into so much of my subsequent work – human tragedy, the questioning of truth and the idea of justice.
“Artists have an obligation to tell or unearth truths and I think raising awareness and asking people to question and research deeper rather than being accepting of what they see around them is part of the obligation.”
Mark Bradley: What is this Hubbub? is free to view at Warrington Museum and Art Gallery until 2 August.
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