Newcastle artist cody sowerby’s new solo exhibition of large format digitally printed banners

Abject Gallery is pleased to present Aspirational Neuroses by Cody Sowerby.

In Aspirational Neuroses installation artist Cody Sowerby uses found images which have been enlarged and digitally manipulated exploring the presentation of the self in the digital realm. Sowerby is particularly interested in the abundance of material which deals with the explicitly corporal aspects of the self: spot popping, eating etc, and how these images are simultaneously repulsive and fascinating, communicating a paradoxical need for intimacy and distance.

Sowerby appropriates screen based images, which are magnified and distorted using both analogue and digital processes, these images are then combined with text, which disrupts the original image and opens up a host of conflicting meanings and interpretations. The images are chosen arbitrarily but thematic concerns such as the body, digital media and a sense of alienated existence run throughout. The relatively inane images begin to take on new meanings when de- contextualised; here Sowerby’s interest lies in the tension between the image, truth and interpretation.

Aspirational Neuroses expands upon this work further by playing with the scale of these images; turning mundane, forgettable fragments of digital culture into unsettling monuments. For Sowerby the gallery environment acts to consolidate ideas into a coherent, finished piece. The essence of Aspirational Neuroses is designed to evoke a feeling of image overload, a confusing space which mirrors online existence- an abundance of images to be consumed with a tenuous relationship to what they show and what they mean.

An important part of Sowerby’s practice is the continual production of zines, an experimental platform in which the artist can gather, and represent ideas or fragments of information which are then more sophistically and internally created into new works, or new moments in time.

Since graduating from Newcastle University in Fine Art in 2013, Sowerby has exhibited widely across the region. Notable exhibitions include: Middlesbrough Art Weekender, 2017, Nasty Women, Baker, 2017, School Disco, NewBridge Project 2016 and Teesside Goes Pop, Middlesbrough, 2016.

The preview for this exhibition takes place on Thursday 22nd February, and the exhibition continues 23rd February until 24th March, Wednesday to Saturday, 11am to 5pm. Entry is free.

More information is available at www.abject.gallery

Cody Sowerby: Aspirational Neuroses
Preview Event: Thursday, 22^nd February 2018, 5:00pm – 8:00pm
Exhibition: 23^rd February 2018 – 24^th March 2018
Opening Times: Wed – Sat, 11:00am – 5:00pm
Location: Abject 2 Gallery, 2nd Floor, Bamburgh House, Market Street (East), Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6BH

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Information for editors

For media enquiries contact Zoe Anderson on 0191 673 0098 or email info@breezecreatives.com.

Press image available at:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/evzbic72u9dyw36/AAD27bJrPYBYMxUwFutUtkuHa?dl=0

Additional images can be emailed upon request.

About Breeze Creatives
Breeze Creatives is a Community Interest Company based in Newcastle upon Tyne that specialises in arts and cultural projects around the North East of England. Creating opportunities for a diverse range of practitioners, Breeze Creatives fills the gap between the artist’s studio and the independent contemporary gallery. www.breezecreatives.com

About Abject Gallery

Abject Gallery, run by Breeze Creatives, is a new contemporary art gallery, in Newcastle city centre that exhibits a selection of national and international artists. Located on the 8^th floor of the Bamburgh House arts centre on Market Street East, the gallery is also known for its stunning views of the Quayside including the Tyne Bridge, Sage and BALTIC. www.abject.gallery