York Museums Trust Blog

If you’re in York any evening until 02 November, make sure you see this truly impressive sound and light show in Museum Gardens.  I went to the opening event last week and, not having been involved in this city project, I had no idea what to expect. 

It was brilliant – in every sense of the word.  Huge moving projections glowed from the ruins of St Mary’s Abbey Church and the front of the Yorkshire Museum, each image appropriate to each building but timed to work together and with an evocative soundtrack.

There’s no charge, it runs from when it goes dark until about 11pm and it’s a great way to start or end an evening.  Not to be missed… 

It’s mornings like this that you realise how lucky you are to live and work in York. OK, most people might think that’s a bit crazy on a cold foggy morning. But, cycling down the river to avoid the traffic, I did realise how weird and wonderful it looked. Mist curling over the river, sounds drifting from the railway station, water as smooth as glass due to the lack of wind all made for quite an atmosphere. And of course a morning commute that involves getting away from the traffic can’t be bad.

This acrylic on canvas painting by Brian Graham (born 1945) is the latest acquisition for the fine art collection. Graham’s artistic inspiration comes from the ancient landscape and archaeological sites. He is fascinated with the physical practice in archaeology of layers and uncovering these layers to discover new things. This is echoed in his artistic practice – he is an intuitive artist and responds to his materials, allowing their potential to evolve. For this painting, Graham was inspired by Star Carr, an archaeological site near Scarborough.

The painting can be seen in the exhibition “Out of the Shadows” 20 September until 25 January 2009.

Info by Jennifer – ref YORAG 2008.9