A Duck for Darwin

'A Duck for Darwin' is the main exhibit currently on display at the Baltic Contemporary Art Museum in Newcastle. The exhibition is by a group of contemporary artists exploring Darwin's evolutionary thinking, and tries to capture the essence of evolution. Though the outcomes these artists created is incredible, what struck me the most is how the vast amounts of research was captured perfectly in a final visual result, and though they may stand alone, what they really are are a visual summary of the research behind them. I found this concept inspirational as, as a designer this is what to strive for. Despite this revelation, which has struck me before, though not quite a strongly, I seemed to have no emotional reaction to this exhibit. Perhaps because of its scientific nature.

I did however have a much stronger reaction to another exhibit, ' Don't let the bastards cheer you up' by Harland Miller, a series referred to as Bad weather paintings. A series of dust covers for book jackets for penguin books had been painted and adapted to relate to the North East, where miller himself grew up. I found that they had a strong impact on me, and commanded the rest of the gallery into a respectful silence. Distinctly capturing, certainly the grey of the North East as it was perceived in the past. However it is difficult to say whether they commanded such emotions as I experience these perceptions on a daily basis.