Outdoor exhibition puts spotlight on city's talent

BIRMINGHAM is home to hundreds of talented artists, and more than 150 of them are currently exhibiting in this year's Open, which has been a joy to curate.

- Ruth Millington is a Birmingham- based art writer and historian

Returning for a second time, thanks to Colmore Business District in partnership with Central Business District, this year's Open invited emerging visual artists to submit work on the theme of light.

The subject was inspired by the very first Birmingham Light Festival, which took place earlier this year, inviting people to see the city as a spectacular illuminated gallery.

Several artists submitted images of the festival's installations and events, with Irina Mackie photographing a permanent light art sculpture, 'Alright Bab!, which is located in Colmore Square.

Mackie's striking photograph is among over 140 artworks being displayed in Victoria Square, where several other photographers, including Owen de Visser, David Clarke and Philip Singleton, have taken Birmingham's skyline as their muse.

Meanwhile, numerous painters have captured the flickering light of candles, among other still life scenes, demonstrating that light is a timeless subject for artists, past and present.

Portraying sunlight's reflections on water and landscapes in their impressionistic compositions are Arvinder Singh, Matthew Bayliss and Sally Bramble, while Yingrou Li's digital artwork 'Luminous' takes viewers beneath the ocean's waves, where neon jellyfish float.