A 20-21 Visual Arts Centre Touring exhibition comes to Hastings Museum & Art Gallery

Hastings Museum & Art Gallery will be playing host to an Arts Council England funded 20-21 Visual Arts Centre Touring exhibition by Jason Wilsher-Mills, a disabled digital artist.

Jason & his Argonauts on Tour has seen Jason work with disabled communities around the UK to design the work. The exhibition explores themes of disability, telling the stories of the geographically diverse, learning-disabled groups, mixing them with Jason's own biography, creating new narratives and myths about the artist.

At the centre of the exhibition is Jason's Changing Places Argonaut - a 3.5m long inflatable sculpture which relates people's stories from the Changing Places movement. This campaign calls for fully accessible toilets equipped with height adjustable changing benches, tracking hoists and space for two carers, to be installed in all large public venues throughout the UK.

There are also two intricately detailed, large-scale wall panels which feature the faces of people Jason has worked with to develop the show, imagery from the popular culture of his childhood, along with excerpts of text which give insights into Jason's experience of disability.

Visitors will also be able to interact with Jason's Corby Angel digital artwork which dances, spins and does Makaton sign language in response to visitors' hand gestures, and there is a video presentation of Jason talking about his work.

Six vibrant wall mounted lightboxes feature characters with intriguing titles such as Mario Lanza and The Hedgetrimmer, I am a Beautiful Machinary of Joy and The East Hull Rocker.

Cllr Andy Batsford (Lab), lead councillor for health and culture, said: "It is exciting that HMAG is hosting this touring exhibition, showcasing and celebrating the lives and experiences of Jason and those he has worked with. I would encourage everyone to come along and see it for themselves."

The exhibition opens on Saturday 9 July at HMAG and will run until Sunday 4 September.

*Image courtesy of Jason Wilsher-Mills and 20-21 Visual Arts Centre

Editor's Notes:
About the Artist

Jason Wilsher-Mills is a disabled digital artist who initially trained as an oil painter. He later learned to 'embrace the pixel' and use digital technology when he became disabled. Jason has exhibited widely, both internationally and throughout the UK, including presenting work at V&A Late, Tate Exchange at Tate Modern and Liberty Festival, London. He has produced commissions for Sky Arts, ITV, the British Council and the Houses of Parliament and was the recipient of the prestigious Adam Reynolds Award 2020.

Jason's work celebrates disability, his northern working-class heritage, popular culture from his childhood and the life experiences of other disabled people. These themes are explored through cutting edge technologies, resulting in Jason's brightly coloured, large-scale, humorous art. When asked what his work is about, he simply replies - 'Think 'I, Daniel Blake' meets 'The Beano'.'

Initially, the use of technology in place of the more traditional mediums posed a challenge, as he felt conflicted about the validity of making digital art, considering it a betrayal of his traditional training. However, following the purchase of an iPad in 2011, he came to truly embrace the possibilities of digital technology to create art and expand his practice from purely two-dimensional work.

This transition from analogue to digital has allowed Jason to greatly extend his artistic voice, enabling him to create a stunning array of both two and three-dimensional work. Lightbox installations, three dimensional prints, fibreglass and large-scale inflatable sculptures, as well as wallpapers and floor coverings are now part of his creative repertoire. Jason then adds further depth to his artworks by imbedding hidden digital content within. These augmented reality experiences are unlocked through free to download apps which are available for both iPhones and Android mobiles through Google Play and the App Store.

For more information about the artist visit his website.