An exhibition at the Baltic gallery in Gateshead brings together two photographers with contrasting views of life in Newcastle. Tish Murtha documented working-class communities during the late 1970s and early 1980s, a period of severe industrial decline and rising unemployment in the city. Her powerful black-and-white images capture the reality of everyday life for families facing economic hardship. Meanwhile, Kuba Ryniewicz moved to Newcastle from Poland in 2004 and now presents a more playful vision of contemporary life, photographing ordinary moments—from weeds pushing through pavement cracks to pregnant bellies—with warmth and optimism.
Close to Home features four of Murtha's most important series: Elswick Kids, Save Scotswood Works, Youth Unemployment and Elswick Revisited. These are shown alongside three of Ryniewicz's recent projects: Daily Weeding, Cornered Study and Good Eggs. The photographs are hung in salon style, with images of varying sizes displayed together on the walls, including some enlarged prints covering entire sections. Video footage of Murtha discussing her practice also plays in the gallery, providing insight into her motivations for documenting her community's struggles.
While the exhibition contains many strong individual works, the reviewer suggests the two artists' very different approaches make it hard to find a unified theme. Murtha's photographs capture protest, unemployment and hardship, while Ryniewicz's images emphasize joy and playfulness. One wall displays people marching in protest over factory closures, while the opposite wall shows a guinea pig nestled against a man's chest. The reviewer concludes that despite moments of connection, these contrasting visions of what "home" means remain difficult to reconcile.