Eclectica Contemporary is delighted to present Justin Dingwall’s first solo exhibition with the gallery, titled When I Stare At The Night Sky

Justin Dingwall’s latest series embodies a profound exploration of memories, investigating the transformative impact of actions, events, interactions, and experiences on our recollection and response to the world. The full title, When I Stare at the Night Sky, I Don’t See Any Stars, serves as a metaphor for the obscured and nuanced nature of our memories. The significance of family is an important part of this series; highlights its pivotal role in shaping future generations. This is conveyed through the incorporation of remembered objects into the photographs. Within the physical spaces we inhabit, objects serve as silent narrators, communicating volumes about their owners and the memories they encapsulate. These objects, often enriched with emotional resonance, become vessels of personal history, connecting us to the people and moments that have shaped our lives.

The choice of printed fabric as an artistic medium is a deliberate effort to bridge the intangible realm of memories with the palpable world. The way that memories are woven into our minds is depicted in the physical weave of the material, sewn together by threads of time. It is a metaphorical stitching together of past and future memories. Much like the night sky devoid of stars, memories are not always pristine; they are subject to the distortions of time and personal interpretation. The deliberate fragmentation of material into distinct pieces and the reimagining of the artwork into different layers symbolises the imperfect nature of our recollections.

It invites contemplation on the gaps and imperfections in our recollections, emphasising the idea that memories, like stars in the night sky, can be obscured, unseen and overlooked. As viewers engage with the work, it becomes a shared space of artistic and personal exploration; the viewers contribute their own narratives and memories, enriching the dialogue between the artwork and its audience.