About the exhibition

In his current exhibition Ian Westwood explores the decline of print media, the acceleration of the digital 24 hour news cycle and what that means for how we consume our news today. Three interconnected bodies of work take us on a journey from the ‘metropolis’; solid towers of print journalism central to the role of the city, to the digital age we live in today literally reflected back on us. A play of words and shadows link the works, with the old casting a light on the new. The metropolis towers represent the print media of a bygone era. Antique wooden printing blocks used in original press works in the early 20th century are the tower’s building blocks. Each unique configuration is reminiscent of now defunct newspapers and a now defunct production form of block press. The 3D reflective collage cityscapes are suggestive of the allure of the flashy social media ‘click bait’ of our time. Hand printed commentary, such as ‘stop the press’ and ‘proofread’, frames the transition from the past to today, asking the viewer to reflect on this change. These printed works poignantly capture the unique beauty of each individual block mark making for posterity. Their last ever application in their intended form.

View the Catalogue for Metropolis by Ian Westwood here (please note, sales from this catalogue have now closed)

For available works by Ian Westwood, please contact the artist directly