Tish Murtha and Kuba Ryniewicz Review: Pit Closures and Simple Pleasures
The Baltic's "Close to Home" exhibition brings together the distinct artistic perspectives of Tish Murtha and Kuba Ryniewicz, both focusing on the quest for happiness in North East England. While featuring numerous commendable elements, the exhibition's disparate parts don't fully coalesce into a unified whole.
Tish Murtha's "Youth Unemployment" series, captured in Newcastle between 1979 and 1981, depicts young men in states of relaxed contemplation, cigarettes poised between fingers as they engage with card games or share quiet amusement. Contrasting this, Kuba Ryniewicz's film, presented alongside Murtha's photographs, features contemporary residents of Newcastle discussing their sources of happiness from the current day. Their responses—often revolving around sunshine, meals, and connections with loved ones—are remarkably consistent and could easily resonate with the subjects of Murtha's earlier work.
Separated by over four decades, both projects poignantly illustrate the enduring human drive to find joy regardless of societal conditions and the innate desire for companionship. Ryniewicz and Murtha are both lauded for their authentic portrayals of their respective communities. Their capacity to capture unvarnished, genuine, and steadfast moments stems from their lived experience within those communities. This shared methodology, coupled with their mutual focus on Newcastle's inhabitants, forms the basis for their joint exhibition at the Baltic, titled "Close to Home."
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