Peterborough City Gallery. Two Very Different Exhibitions. October 2014.

Peterborough in Cambridgeshire has a museum that in the early 20th century was a  hospital, and in that museum is a charming gallery that consists of three large airy rooms.

Have you been there? What do you think?

On Tuesday lunchtime I visited The City Gallery there with the expressed intention of seeing Julie Reid's exhibition "Fabric of the Earth".

But first I had to get to it.

What confronted me as I entered the gallery space was a big expanse of yellow, a noisy , slowly pulsating balloon, snaking it's way round the first two galleries.

Michael Shaw

Chameleons and Shapeshifters ( 11 October – 30 November 2014) was the exhibition of Michael Shaw whose way of working and finished product couldn't be further away from Julie's if he tried.
These two exhibitions are chalk and cheese.
Nice juxtaposition City Gallery! 

Julie Reid

Fabric of the Earth is by Julie Reid
(Sunday 12 October – Sunday 2 November 2014)
I've known Julie for some time now and was looking forward to this exhibition.
When I'd battled through the yellow first two galleries I entered an area of calm, a collection of muted colours and calm lines. Low tech art that connected with nature , which I think is what Julie intended.

Fabric of the Earth by Julie Reid

This is a large painting of fabric .
I'm not sure if it fits the brief of Fabric of the Earth
but I like it. Julie previously painted this
subject in red but I like the
muted colours better.

Julie Reid. Life and Lines.
My favourite.
Subtle, a collage, cold tea colour with bits of string.
Calming. Loved it!

Conclusion.

Did I like Michael Shaw's work? Well to be honest. Sort of.

Did I like Julie Reid's work? Yes I did. Her best yet.

Click on thelink below and tell me what you think.