WINK WINK at the Whitaker

Maja Lorkowska, Exhibitions Editor
Harry Clayton Wright, Mr Blackpool (2023). Image by Matt Crockett, Make up by Guy Common, Costume Design by Ryan Dawson Laight

WINK WINK at The Whitaker, 18 May — 23 July 2023 Entrance is free — Visit now

WINK WINK at the Whitaker is a major new exhibition celebrating queer lived experience.

The display weaves together sculpture, drawing, textiles, video and mixed media to present vivid explorations of queerness and its nuances. WINK WINK offers an alternative view of the world and allows us to glimpse it from a completely different perspective that we may not be privy to in everyday life.

Curator Garth Gratrix (who is also exhibiting his own work) has gathered 24 artists whose practices may be diverse, but they all come together to explore the intersectionality of language, material, race, gender from a queer perspective. He describes the exhibition as a “formal frolic”, that allows the art to remain generous, full of humour and freshness, within the confines of an institutional display.

Trackie McLeod, MILK LEMONADE CHOCOLATE (2022), Neon light, acrylic box

Jonathan Baldock’s work is a fantastic example of this playfulness, with his Maske series of clay pieces that allude to faces. While they are not strictly portraits or even have facial features, their fleshy colours and compositions force our brains to see human faces and project onto them an array of emotions.

Topher Campbell’s film FETISH is another highlight of WINK WINK. Campbell’s video featuring himself and his own naked Black queer body walking through the streets of New York dives deeply into the ideas of visibility and perceptions, the act of walking naked through the city as a Black man was both dangerous, provocative and entirely unashamed.

Artist-SHARP, Title BEACON (without words I found myself home on our stomping ground) (2022). image by Arlo Lawton
SHARP, BEACON (without words I found myself home on our stomping ground) (2022). image by Arlo Lawton

Sarah Joy-Ford’s artistic practice mostly uses textiles, and revels in its own femininity of aesthetic, indulging in warm, pastel hues, sparkly elements and soft materials. Ford is also an independent researcher so her interest in textiles goes beyond the materiality and techniques, but also incorporates the history of gendered marginalisation, patriarchy and craft as a feminine pursuit. She is often inspired by single-sex space  like sororities and lesbian desire within them, resulting in ornately decorated quilts, cushions and pieces of clothing.

WINK WINK also features work from legendary figures such as filmmaker, artist and gardener Derek Jarman as well as a whole host of other artists’ works who boldly use their voice and creativity to bring audiences a little bit closer to the queer experience.

WINK WINK at The Whitaker, 18 May — 23 July 2023 Entrance is free Visit now

Where to go near WINK WINK at the Whitaker

Bar or Pub
The Eagle and Child

The Eagle and Child in Ramsbottom does what good pubs do best, and more.

The Happy Belly sausages ramsbottom market
Shopping Centre
Ramsbottom Food and Craft Markets

Now ten years old, this double market combines a farmers’ market and a craft fair and provides the perfect excuse to visit the picturesque town of Ramsbottom, which nestles in the Lancashire foothills to the north of Manchester.

Restaurant
Levanter Fine Foods

Helmed by chef-owners Fiona and Joe Botham, this tapas restaurant in Ramsbottom serves exclusively Spanish drinks and some of the best small plates going.

Bury
Restaurant
Colleen’s Ramsbottom

Colleen’s is a casual dining neighbourhood restaurant in the heart of Ramsbottom serving seasonal dishes.

Burnley's Singing Ringing Tree
Burnley
Tourist Attraction
Burnley’s Singing Ringing Tree

Burnley’s Panopticon, ‘Singing Ringing Tree’, is a unique musical sculpture which overlooks Burnley from its position high above the town on Crown Point. Constructed from pipes of galvanised steel stacked in layers, this Panopticon takes the form of a tree bending to the winds and harnesses the energy of those winds to produce a low, tuneful song.

Towneley Hall
Event venue
Towneley Hall

Historic house, art gallery and museum. Museum houses a variety of displays, encompassing natural history, Egyptology, local history, textiles, decorative art and regional furniture. Art gallery is focused on Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite art, “with some earlier paintings as well”.

Manchester
Event venue
Burrs Country Park

Burrs Country Park lies on the River Irwell covering an area of 36 hectares of scenic countryside, one mile northwest of Bury town centre.

The Weavers Triangle
Burnley
Tourist Attraction
The Weavers Triangle

The Weavers Triangle is a modern name for an area on the banks of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal that was once at the heart of Burnley’s textile industry. The name was first used in the 1970s, as interest developed in preserving Burnley’s industrial heritage, and refers to the roughly triangular shape of the region.

What's on: Visual Arts

life drawing
Until
ActivityManchester
Life Drawing Manchester

Whether you have never put pencil to paper or have been honing your artistic skills for years, Bee Creative studio runs life drawing sessions for people of all abilities.

from £10

Culture Guides

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in Manchester and the North

Affecting contemporary performances and fresh, relevant takes on enduring classics, we pick out shows that help us scrutinise the world we live in.

Teenage Dads
Music in Manchester and the North

Fresh concert seasons, forward-thinking festivals and a revolving door of amazing gigs. Things are looking bright as spring comes into view.