AN AWARD-winning artist has captured dancers in a series of bronze sculptures for Great Northumberland at Cheeseburn Grange near Stamfordham.

Artist Joseph Hillier has shown work at Cheeseburn Sculpture Gardens since 2015, and has collaborated with dancers Lizzie J. Klotz and Maria Vincentelli, from Newcastle’s Dance City, to develop his unique pieces of work, marrying traditional techniques with modern technology.

Previous visitors to Cheeseburn will have noticed Joseph’s sculptures in the formal garden.

Now, in a continuation of Cheeseburn’s longstanding relationship with the North-East-based artist, visitors will have the opportunity to see a major solo exhibition of his brand new work.

Bronze-cast sculptures are on display in the Stables Gallery, a light and sculpture installation occupies the hayloft space, and there are further works in the Stables project space.

Through a fusion of ancient bronze casting and digital 3D motion capture technology, Joseph has captured the movements and gestures of the two dancers in mid-performance.

Joseph said: “I’m very interested in human motion, and documenting it using digital tools is what my exhibition at Cheeseburn is all about.

“I’ve used 3D-scanning, motion technology and computer generation to make the sculptures and hopefully, this new body of work will also push the possibilities of figurative sculpture in a new direction.”

As well as having the opportunity to see Joseph’s sculptures, visitors can also experience live performances from Maria over the August bank holiday weekend, and Klotz over the first weekend of September.

Working over a six-week period, Joseph invited the two dancers to create movements in response to architectural features of the studios they work in, as well as moments from their own choreography.

Lizzie J. Klotz is a dance and theatre artist, whose works spans choreography, performance and teaching. Her work as a choreographer is marked by an interest in human behaviour, exploring actions, reactions and interactions of the everyday.

“Joseph contacted me after seeing me perform in a show at Dance City. Initially, it was quite a playful collaboration, in that neither of us had worked with artists from each other’s backgrounds,” she said.

“For sculptors, typically the male creates the bronze of woman; with our collaboration, it was especially noteworthy that Joseph gave me as much of a voice in the creative process as he did himself. For the September pop-up performances, I have deconstructed and re-worked Fawn, a dance that focuses on being a woman, the objectification of women, and being a dancer, so that the dance can be presented at different sites across Cheeseburn.

“The piece was was made for theatre, but Cheeseburn has provided me with the opportunity to deconstruct and imagine the work in a different context.”

Cheeseburn Sculpture supports artists’ projects at Cheeseburn Grange, where visitors can encounter the work of new and established artists within its historic gardens and grounds.

Curator at Cheeseburn, Matthew Jarratt, said: “We love to offer sculptors the opportunity to exhibit their work, as well as allowing them to experiment with new ideas, which can sometimes surprise visitors and challenge perceptions of what sculpture can be.

“The ancient technique of bronze casting is thousands of years old and I, for one, love that he is able to contrast these so beautifully with the more modern, 3D practices. With the lighting installation in the hayloft space, Joseph has been able to experiment with various elements, including record decks and strobing.”

Visitors will also have the chance to encounter the remarkable sculptures of acclaimed Chinese artist Qi Yafeng, as well as the works of Louise Plant, Brian Thompson and Simon Hitchens, which are among the 40 pieces of work situated in the ten acres of landscaped gardens.

Additionally, Gillian Dickinson North East Young Sculptor of the Year Peter Hanmer’s winning installation, Plato’s Lair, will be available to view in the walled garden potting shed once again.

The exhibit space is open to the public as part of Great Northumberland on Saturday August 25, Sunday 26 and Monday 2, from 11am to 4pm, with pop-up performances from Maria Vincentelli.

Lizzie J. Klotz will perform at Cheeseburn on Saturday, September 1 and Sunday, September 2, also from 11am to 4pm.

Great Northumberland, organised by Northumberland County Council to showcase the best the county has to offer, was inspired by the Great Exhibition of the North.

The eight-week extravaganza, which started on July 7 with a spectacular event in Hexham, culminates in Berwick on Saturday September 1, with a celebration of the musical traditions of the county, including the debut performance of a newly-commissioned song The Great Song of the North.