Frames is a progression and an inevitability.  Bracey’s time as projectionist at Cornerhouse, Manchester, lost into the dark world of the projection booth with the whir of machinery Bracey concentrated his thoughts on his paintings. 

Passionate about film Bracey’s new series of paintings is an intriguing and engaging take on categorised films Best Picture Oscar, Director etc. Watching each iconic film he waits for the non-iconic moments, not instantly recognisable by association, the mini image is selected for its seemingly incidental and momentary place within the film. A plate of corned beef sandwiches.  A bauble on a Christmas tree.  A plane emerging from the clouds.  Bracey comments “the plane is a classic example; it is there to tell the viewer that the story has moved from one city to another, but as an isolated image it is just an image of a plane. 

By changing its context and presenting it as a painting Frames raises the significance of something that within the film is passed over”.  Once captured it is meticulously painted onto an empty rectangle of 35mm leader film: the preliminary strips that count the seconds of the start of the film. Frames is the antithesis of a poster of Audrey Hepburn and her diamonds in Breakfast at Tiffany’s or Robert De Niro pointing his gun in Taxi Driver. 

The viewer searches for their favourite films and it is the viewer that will provide the iconic moments stored away in our memory and tempted out to narrate the film in our heads, we become as absorbed as when watching the film.

Curated by Rebecca Keating

Andrew Bracey was the first invited artist to join Mid Pennine Gallery’s Artist in Residence Programme.  Bracey worked in situ in the gallery giving all visitors the opportunity to meet the artist and talk to him about his art practice and current exhibition.  Bracey gave talks to students from Burnley College, Todmorden College and the University of Central Lancashire.