New Contemporary Art Gallery for Harrogate

1 Crown Place Harrogate HG1 2RY

Joash Woodrow
Crown Place,Harrogate
Oil on board, circa 1975
90 x 69cm

The artist visited Harrogate on at least several occasions. Joash produced many drawings of the entrance to the Valley Gardens and the nearby streets and buildings, including the Swan Hotel, The Pump Room Museum and the Mercer Art Gallery.

Steve Dilworth
Mountain Air
Bronze
70 x 60 x 30cm

We are delighted that the first exhibition to be held in 108's new gallery will feature six outstanding sculptural works by Steve Dilworth.

Born in Yorkshire Steve Dilworth studied at Maidstone College of Art. He moved to the island of Harris in 1983, where he has lived and worked since.

His work has been displayed internationally, in Chicago, Illinois, Hawaii and Germany. In 2002, Steve's work was featured in Thinking Big' at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice. His 'Worlds in a Box' exhibition organized by the South Bank Centre became a UK Touring exhibition for The British Arts Council.

Steve's work incorporates the landscape in all it's forms, from ancient rock formations, metals and timber to the skeletal remains of animals and other naturally found objects, which he sometimes encases within his sculptural work.

Numerous public and private collections hold his work including the Scottish Arts Council Collection, the Knox Collection, Dundee City Council and Cass Sculpture Foundation. His sculpture has been featured in a wide range of publications, television programs and films, including a BBC1 programme entitled 'Excess' and in the 'Alternative Turner Prize' Late Show on BBC2.

Following on from a highly successful year, with well reviewed exhibitions in London and Leeds, 108 Fine Art have recently acquired a prestigious new gallery space in central Harrogate.

Bucking the recession, doom, gloom and general economic malaise, 108 are preparing for their most exciting ambitious exhibitions programme to date, aiming to bring exceptional art to both a local and national audience.

Their inaugural exhibition of paintings by Joash Woodrow and Sculpture by Steve Dilworth previewed to a full house and included previously unseen drawings of Harrogate: Crescent Road, Swan Road and The Valley Gardens produced by Joash Woodrow in the early 1990's. Staff at 108 were delighted to find that many of the drawings feature the cobbled street of Crown Place; home to 108's new gallery.

Other solo exhibitions planned for this year include new works by George Rowlett, Anna King, Alan Davie (a 90th birthday celebration), Nicholas Jolly, Paul Reid, Adrian Wiszniewski, Christopher Wood and others.

Since 1997, 108 Fine Art has concentrated on working with both established and emerging artists, several of whom have gone on to achieve and in some cases re-ignite significant artistic reputations.

PAUL REID
Since his degree show in 1998, 108 have worked closely with Paul Reid, who is quickly becoming recognized as one of the most successful figurative painters of his generation; his entire recent London exhibition at the ISIS Gallery being acquired by a buyer for a Swiss based Art Foundation. A recent trip to Canada with HRH Prince of Wales has inspired Reid to paint a series of paintings which will shortly be presented to HRH.

JOASH WOODROW
The collection of the reclusive Leeds based artist Joash Woodrow whose work was rediscovered in 2001 has attracted considerable interest from museums, galleries and collectors throughout the UK. His first London selling exhibition was recently held at the Fine Art Society in Bond Street, London, proving to be one of their most successful exhibitions in recent years.

ALAN DAVIE
In 2006 108 Fine Art held a major retrospective exhibition of paintings by one of the most influential and experimental abstract painters of the 20th century. Since then Davies art has once again become increasingly sought after with auction prices rising four fold. In 2007 a record price of 287,000 Euros was paid for his magnificent 'Goddess of the Green', painted in 1954.

Paintings and Drawings by Joash Woodrow

continues until 20th April 2010

Opening hours: Monday - Saturday 11am - 6pm. Sunday 11am - 4pm

01423 709108 / 819108 m: 07798 908857