John Newling in Conversation

Free Talk

Join artist John Newling and Beam Director Jonathan Casciani in conversation to discuss the artist's recent book 'The Book of Puddle' and his current exhibition Bowls and Books; Water to Ash.

There will be organic food, natural wine and local beers available on the night from 6pm

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Event Format

- Food and drinks from 6pm onwards

- Talk at 7pm-8pm

- Food and drinks continues until 9pm

- Exhibition open all evening

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About the book

Inspired by the sight of his grandchildren splashing joyfully in the rain, artist John Newling explores the myriad histories and cosmic mysteries contained within a small puddle by his garden gate.

Images of the ever-changing puddle appear alongside Newling’s life-affirming, insightful, humorous and profound reflections and observations. Through them, we are shown hope for the future of humanity, while being reminded of the miracle and fragility of our existence.

The Book of Puddle reveals how even the simplest and most ordinary of things can become a gateway to a deeper understanding of our connection with the natural world and each other.

‘In the puddle is the knowledge that all things are connected to everything else, and we are a small bit of everything’

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About the Exhibition

Beam is delighted to present a series of new sculptures and framed works by our long-standing collaborator, John Newling. The sculptures in the exhibition take the form of either bowls or books, which are a recurring motif in the artist’s practice over the last decade. Alongside the sculptures are three framed works made from pressed and preserved leaves and flax seedlings. Accompanying the works produced over the last 12 months is a rare large drawing the artist made in 1982 in the formative years of his career.

These recent works by Newling are a poetic conversation of different materials, exploring the relationship of humans within the natural world. Echoing the natural forces of the Earth, the artist used processes such as burning, splitting, crushing, filtering, and corroding to create a series of objects with extraordinarily delicate textures and varying natural hues. Some of the materials are ‘painted’ by the natural elements: rains, winds, heat and soils are all deployed as transformational techniques that affect the surface of the material. Newling views these works as being developed with an alchemical process in co-relationship with nature.

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