back

BBC website November 2003

Review of Dilate: Dryden Goodwin - Manchester Art Gallery
1 November 2003 to 25 January 2004

Richard Fair

I'm stood in a dark room on the second floor of the Manchester City Art Gallery. Hanging around me are eight projector screens.

Suddenly I find myself travelling down a motorway slip road.

Dilate (2003) is an ambitious new panoramic video installation by Dryden Goodwin, an innovative British artist.

Having wandered quietly along the shoreline exploring the seascapes of Turner in the gallery next door, Dryden Goodwin work wakens the senses to stark reality in a way I thought only coffee could do.

Using a specially designed eight mini-DV camera rig, Goodwin puts you in places that leave you opened mouthed as you stand on the deck of a ship watching the waves crashing ahead of you, you turn to your left and see a spectacular sunset that even JMW Turner would look upon in awe.

Goodwin says that "each visitor will have a deep personal relationship" with the images seen in this exhibition. And I can see exactly what he means. The image of the distant caravan site from the coastline stirred up memories of family holidays.

I strongly suggest you see this after the Turner exhibition and skip the coffee.