THE DOgS
1 July – 12 August 2023
Open Thursday - Saturday 12-3PM
please note the gallery is closed Thursday 3rd and 10th August for Creative Healthy Holidays
An exhibition celebrating DOgS
LOUIS BENOIT has created a pack of of drawings, some dramatic, some funny and some just canine cunning.
“Bless my Soul!!! Louis Benoit is BLOODY GOOD - and MESSY TOO!!! He Blots a lot - BUT he controls it all too!! WELL DONE!!!!!”
This exhibition is the culmination of work towards the illustration of the book of poems, THE DOgS by award-winning writer MICHAEL STEWART
“THE DOgS.........a tour-de-force of visionary imagination that is at once apocalyptic and analytical, compassionate and chaotic, darkly comedic—and deadly serious. In this grenade of a book, Stewart has done for Dog what Ted Hughes did for Crow.”
Also on show will be a collection of sculptures inspired by Louis’ drawings by MOIRA BENOIT
About the Artist: Louis Benoit
It has been obvious from early years that Louis has an exceptional drawing ability and drawing has stayed with him through life and even education; schools and art school never quite suited Louis and a late diagnosis of Autism was to explain why. Art has been a skill he can excel at and express his ideas
and humour. Louis has an unusual view on things and thinks that he ‘thinks differently’ which is interesting to others. Drawing is an activity to Louis and his aim is to get that energy and immediacy down there on the paper which is why his tools of choice are the pen and ink. No going back – just do it!
About the Author: Michael Stewart
MICHAEL STEWART is an award-winning author of nine books, including, King Crow, Couples, Café Assassin, Ill Will, Mr Jolly, and Walking the Invisible. The Dogs is his second full length poetry collection.
Michael Stewart’s debut novel, King Crow (Bluemoose Books), was the winner of the Guardian’s Not-the-Booker Award and has been selected as a recommended read for World Book Night. He has written two other novels: Café Assassin (Bluemoose Books) and Ill Will: The Untold Story of Heathcliff (HarperCollins); two short fiction collections: Mr Jolly (Valley Press) and Four Letter Words (Wrecking Ball Press); two poetry collections: Couples (Valley Press) and The Dogs (Smokestack Books); and a hybrid memoir: Walking the Invisible: Following in the Brontës’ Footsteps (HarperCollins).
He is the creator of the Brontë Stones project, four monumental stones situated in the landscape between the birthplace and the parsonage, inscribed with poems by Kate Bush, Carol Ann Duffy, Jeannette Winterson and Jackie Kay, which he delivered in collaboration with the Bradford Literature Festival.
Find out more about Michael here: www.michael-stewart.org.uk or find him on Twitter @headspam
About the Partnership
By chance Michael came across Louis’ work and for him Louis had to be the illustrator for his new book of poems; THE DOgS . In turn Louis loved Michael’s poetry. Both share an ability to impact yet enjoy exploring detail. The viewer or reader cannot help but be drawn into their work.
Both also share the love of DOGS.
This event is part of Artworks’s The Joy of Nature 2023 events season.
