LAST CHANCE TO SEE: Lux Prima by Iain Bolton at Alnwick Playhouse
A haunting, heartfelt exhibition by Northumberland artist Iain Bolton draws to a close today. Don’t miss Lux Prima at Alnwick Playhouse gallery today.
Today is your final chance to catch Lux Prima, the powerful solo exhibition from Northumberland artist and photographer Iain Bolton, showing at Alnwick Playhouse until close of day.
Rooted in the forgotten corners of South East Northumberland, Bolton’s work captures a different kind of beauty – the beauty of what’s been missed, dismissed or quietly erased. “My work is less about castles,” says Iain, “and more about power stations, council estates, the stunning realities of my local area.” From the back lanes of Ashington to the industrial silhouettes of Lynemouth, his art makes space for stories that often go untold.
Lux Prima – Latin for “first light” – explores time, memory and erasure. “It’s a celebration of everything that isn’t. And was,” Iain says. “The beauty of the overlooked. The glamour of the unseen. The heartache of the hidden.” There’s a quiet message that art doesn’t need to come wrapped in gold frames or cathedral ceilings. “Creativity shouldn’t be a luxury,” he says. “It should be for everyone – especially those who’ve been told it’s not for them.”
Iain knows that story well. Born in Lynemouth and now based in Ashington, he didn’t pick up a paintbrush for nearly three decades. “I left Hirst High School in 1986 with just one O Level – in art,” he recalls. “Then I stopped. For years. It wasn’t until 2015 that I came back to it. That was a 29-year sabbatical.” What brought him back? “A mix of stubbornness and hope,” he laughs. “I wanted to prove something. To show myself – and others – that it’s not too late. That working-class creativity is real, and vital, and worth celebrating.”
Since then, Iain’s built a following for his raw, evocative blend of painting and photography. His past exhibition Know Your Place – at RePUBlic Gallery in Blyth – was a love letter to the ‘unseen glamour’ of his surroundings, capturing everything from tower blocks to rusted gates with reverence and affection.
At the heart of Lux Prima is a kind of visual poetry – one that speaks to loss, pride, and place. “The places I paint or photograph, they’ve shaped me,” says Iain. “I don’t want to romanticise them, but I do want to honour them. There’s beauty in the everyday.”
And today’s your last chance to see it all – up close and unfiltered – at Alnwick Playhouse.
[INFO BOX]
🎨 Lux Prima by Iain Bolton
📍 Alnwick Playhouse, Northumberland
📅 Final Day: Sunday 13 April 2025
📲 @iainboltonart | FB: Iain Bolton – Artist