Red Tape Private View
We would like to cordially invite you to the Private View of Bruce Burn’s Exhibition, ‘Red Tape’ at the python gallery on Friday 8th November 6-8pm.
Bruce Burn is an established Artist based in the North East of England. With work shown regionally, Nationally and Internationally, Bruce has had many acclaimed and thought provoking shows that often deal with issues of criminality. He has worked extensively with communities across the region, especially in the Tyne and Wear and Tees Valley areas, often engaging with traditionally hard to reach groups; his work brings together both his professional practice as an artist and his wealth of experience and knowledge of the law gathered through his many years of previous police work.
During his time with the police Bruce trained and worked as a Forensic Artist. This has recently led to him being invited to speak to many groups on the history and development of the early years of Forensic Art, and how this investigative skill was developed by the FBI. He explains that the now historic identification catalogue which contains the facial images, including that of Al Capone and other mobsters of America’s 1930’s, is still in use today. “ I always got a buzz to think that such famous criminals as Al Capone were being used in the Investigations of crimes committed in the North East”. Bruce also explains how such investigative methods have also been used to assist academics to produce drawings of a North East Medieval Saint and to also produce a drawing for an investigation by a national newspaper.
During his career in the Police Service, Bruce both worked in and also visited many office buildings associated with the Criminal Justice System throughout Britain in a professional capacity, and it was this familiarity with the system that has inspired his latest body of work as a visual artist.
Recently while undertaking an art residency at Teesside Barristers Law Chambers, Bruce literally saw the binding of criminal files with red tape.
“We have all heard the expression, “Being tied up in red tape, however to actually see a file in the process of being bound was quite a surprise”, Bruce continues, “Having had the experience of creating the first paperwork at the crime scene, then being involved in the preparation of crime files for court, to also being cross examined in Crown Court, as a professional artist I was viewing the symbolic closure of crime files through the binding of them with Red Tape”.
‘Red tape’ is the resulting body of work which is intended to be the first in a series of exhibitions in which Bruce uses his skills as a visual artist to investigate, observe and record the people, equipment, environments and processes associated with the Criminal Justice System.
It promises to be a thought provoking and engaging show, so please come along and help us to make the opening a great success.
Kind regards, Peter Heselton
(pythongallery curator)
