Member Article

Byker Billboard postcards sent to Blair and Bush

A Newcastle based artist will be sending postcards of the latest billboard artwork located on Shields Road in Byker to UK and US leaders Tony Blair and George Bush in a protest against the war in Iraq.

Masters of War by James Johnson-Perkins will be on display for the month of March as a billboard poster outside Waygood Gallery’s temporary home on Old Shields Road between Byker and Walker in Newcastle. The billboard displays a single message ‘THIS WAR IS UNJUST’ in one metre high geometric computer produced lettering. It will be on display a week after the latest Stop the War Coalition national anti-war protest took place in London last Saturday. Johnson-Perkins will also be sending postcards of the billboard to the President and the Prime Minister to coincide with installation of the billboard poster on 3 March.

Johnson-Perkins said: “Art maybe unable to stop wars but it sure as hell can make us think about injustice.”

Topsy Grewlike, Studio Development Artist, who is managing the Harker Herald project, said: “It is interesting that the first few billboards have been so topical. With at least seven more artists’ work on display, one a month throughout 2007 I am sure that there will be more issues raised for discussion.“For more information see www.waygood.org or ring Waygood Gallery & Studios on 0191 265 6857.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .