Close to Home at Baltic: When historical documentation meets modern optimism

Contrasting visions of Newcastle

“Close to Home” brings together four of Tish Murtha’s most important series – “Elswick Kids”, “Save Scotswood Works”, “Youth Unemployment” and “Elswick Revisited” – exhibited together for the first time in the north-east of England. Murtha, who died in 2013, documented the working-class communities of Newcastle during a period of deindustrialisation, capturing resilience and human connection amidst hardship. Alongside her work, Polish-born photographer Kuba Ryniewicz presents recent images from three series: “Daily Weeding”, “Cornered Study” and “Good Eggs”. His vibrant, playful photographs focus on mundane moments – weeds, buses, pets, shadows – transformed into something utopian.

Exhibition layout and critique

Murtha’s photographs are displayed in a salon-style hang, with one enlarged image from each series covering an entire wall. Ryniewicz’s Polaroids and prints, mostly unframed, are glued directly to the wall and scattered throughout the space. The review notes that while the installation is dynamic, it fails to create a coherent overarching story. For instance, a protest against the closure of Scotswood Works appears on one wall, while on the opposite wall a guinea pig snuggles into a man’s chest. Murtha’s raw historical gravity clashes with Ryniewicz’s light-heartedness, and the wall texts do little to bridge the gap – they discuss Murtha factually and Ryniewicz conceptually.

An unconvincing dialogue

Despite both artists being celebrated for their community-focused work, the exhibition struggles to find a meaningful connection. Murtha’s images are presented in contained collections, while Ryniewicz’s are dotted randomly. Murtha shot candidly; Ryniewicz often stages his scenes. The reviewer concludes that Ryniewicz has had to adapt his practice to fit around Murtha’s powerful historical legacy, but the result feels forced. The show is a worthwhile attempt to find a contemporary conversation for Murtha’s work, but “Close to Home” misses the mark in creating a cohesive artistic dialogue.