"For Sale" A Postcard Exhibition

As gifts, items of ephemera, messages of written word and art pieces in their own right, the postcard is a timeless medium for a multiple of purposes and expressions. Using the postcard form as a canvas of interpretation and creativity, The Norman Rea Gallery’s latest exhibition “For Sale”, responded to the theme a day in the life as depicted by a diverse range of artists. It featured a range of personalised and individual postcards produced by international, national and local artists.

The exhibition aimed to fundraise for the Mind, an independent organisation that provides services to those suffering with mental health conditions in York. The association of the theme a day in life directly connects to the charity as mental health is an active part in daily life.

The repertoire included in a wide selection of mediums including drawings, painting, prints, collage and photography. The postcards created a visual window into the artists’ lives, securing a personal relationship between the viewer and the artist.

Taking the idea of the sentimental and exploring domesticity in the nature of a postcard, the title “For Sale” juxtaposed the meaning by offering a more commercial output, linking the two hand in hand. Securing a curatorial meaning within the central space was heightened by the layout divided into four colours across each wall. A link between the paint and the postcards were selected to create a dialogue between the narrative of the artworks both individually and as a collective show.

The Norman Rea Gallery was proud to introduce their first exhibition by the new committee, overseen by the newly elected director Grace Frazer. “For Sale” was an exhibition that explored the small details, the routine, the senses and the thoughts from many lives, as captured in the very personal medium of the postcard.

A selection of participating artists include:

Louise Brown, Joshua Armitage, Graham Lister, Alyssa-Victoria Isip, Gill Vines, Jessica Wheeler, Rhian Cooke and Beth Hawley