Shifts in Time 6: 2015 – 2022
Shifts in Time 1994–2024 traces the journey from the Flaw series of paintings in the early 1990s to Hidden Kingdoms Shifting Worlds works and current practice. Parts 1–5 concentrate on 1994–2015, while parts 6–8 follow developments from 2015 to 2022. Between 2016 and 2020, the emphasis was on microbial research at the Centre for Bacterial Research at Newcastle University, which provided a foundation for transforming past events into artwork that engages with contemporary scientific, medical, and social themes.
The exhibitions, Shifting Worlds and Hidden Kingdoms Shifting Worlds were shown at the Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology in 2018 and 2022. Part of the collection is available for viewing by appointment at the CBCB.
Hidden Kingdoms Shifting Worlds Exhibition 2022: https://www.derekhill.co.uk/open-now-hidden-kingdoms-shifting-worlds-exhibition-baddiley-clark-building-newcastle/
The images are presented in non-chronological order. The paintings range in size from 2.5 x 3.5 metres to 2.5 x 3 metres, 2 x 2.5 metres, 2 x 2 metres, 1.25 x 2 metres, and 2.5 x 1.25 metres. The selection includes a series of inks and watercolours measuring 50 x 35 cm and books of inks and watercolours. A link to all playlists, including film studies for installation, is available.
“The art practice that the artist Derek Hill has set up with scientists at the University of Newcastle is remarkable for how it represents an unfaltering stream of exceptional work that Derek has produced since his time at the Royal College between 1979 and 1982 and the persistence with which he has shown his ability to link his art production to collaborative projects with professional artists and non-professionals. In 1990, when he was travelling in Africa, Derek’s life was jeopardised by a bacterial infection. The trauma of that experience has been the mainspring of his work over several decades, and it found a ready response in the university scientists. The link between computer imaging and the organic nature of Derek’s art practice presents a remarkable opportunity for creating new and exciting artwork and the engagement of university personnel, schools, and communities.”. by J.Millard, 2019 (former manager of Newcastle and Liverpool Museums) “Derek Hill works like an alchemist. His studio is a magical place where he conducts his experiments. It is a cavernous roof space with alcoves and wooden stairways on every side. Overhead is a tangle of huge wooden beams with an occasional fluttering pigeon, and in the middle is a great irregular space. Paintings are everywhere. They are slotted in rows into every alcove. They cover the floor with sheets of polythene. On the narrow strips between them are pots and tools, and there’s little room to walk. by J. Millard, 2010 (Former manager of Liverpool and Newcastle Museums) Hidden Kingdoms ShiftingWorlds: https://www.derekhill.co.uk/work/cat/hidden-kingdoms-shifting-worlds/ Reviews: https://www.derekhill.co.uk/work/item/reviews-exhibitions/?cat=84 Full Set of Playlists: https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCEncWmw9aBoL4KFf-96boeA/content/playlists About Derek Hill: https://www.derekhill.co.uk/work/cat/about-derek-hill/
Derek’s alchemy consists of making combinations from his remarkable storehouse of materials and deploying his immense compendium of techniques. His images are drawn, poured, and painted in a meticulous sequence of actions balancing chance and control. Some of his canvases are like microscopic biological processes expanded to a massive size. Others appear to be vast geographical processes made to happen in a few square feet. They are lucid and mysterious, generous and intense, majestic and, literally, wonderful.”
