Adventures in Flatland at the Great North Museum
Johnny James, Managing Editor
Renowned radio DJ and presenter Lauren Laverne leads event number three, joined in conversation by musician/composer Sara Lowes and visual artist Mary Griffiths. The three will discuss the artists’ experiments in music, art and science, before a showcase of their pioneering work.
No stranger to Brighter Sound, in 2014 Sara Lowes was commissioned by the charity to spend time at the National Graphene Institute at Manchester University, and to identify commonalities between a career in music composition and one in scientific research. During her nine months as Composer in Residence, Lowes became fascinated by the level of creativity that the progressive world of science requires. The outcome of her experiences during this time was a powerful new piece of music entitled ‘Graphene Suite’. Featuring piano, synthesisers, guitars, strings, trumpet and oboe, this genre-melding piece will enjoy a full outing at the Great North Museum.
This is to be coupled with the unveiling of a new piece of graphene-inspired art by Mary Griffiths, whose work has been exhibited across the UK as well as internationally. Over the past seven years she has developed a practice which utilises layers of graphite in order to create a dense and reflective surface. At a similar time to Lowes’ commission, Griffiths was invited (by no less than Nobel Prize-winning Scientist Sir Kostya Novoselov) to create a work of art for the National Graphene Institute. Having worked with similar subject matters and alongside the same people, it will be interesting to hear Lowes and Griffiths discuss their different perspectives on their work.
