Chris Appleby
Joey Two Streams
27 April – 13 May



A book of 10 colour woodcuts begins to explore Joey's dilemma with his job in the City Police Dept. While his wife is eager for his promotion (and a bigger pay cheque) his father's relationship with the 'demon drink' threatens to get him the sack.

Chris's book and related artwork is the subject of the next Art First Projects exhibition, opening to the public on 27th April and running until the 13th of May. This is a fascinating homage to literature, film and film-noir of all levels, as well as something of a metaphor for the lone artist, an image novel which pulls out intriguing pictorial and cultural references.

This is a dense and intriguing use of the artist's book format, involving highly traditional working methods to create a series of absorbing compositions drawing on Appleby's long experience of picture-making 'always leaving a space for his audience to stand in'.

D.Drane, catalogue essay 2003