Zingy colours and awesome landscapes at Warwick gallery

Kaleidoscope, on at the Mitchell Gallery in Church Street until the end of the month, reflects the passion for photography of four artists from contrasting backgrounds.

Zoology student Ben Cherry, who has recently returned from a five-month trip to Africa, has, at a young age, already achieved several national accolades, including awards in the National Geographic Children’s and the Rotary Foundation National Photography competitions. Ben has also been chosen as a finalist in the BBC Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year and he has been highly commended in the Young Travel Photographer of the Year competition.

Toni Storey, artist and head gallery assistant at the Mitchell Gallery, describes his images as “simply awesome”.

Joiner Tom Jamieson is a motorbike enthusiast, whose photographs veer towards the dramatic and vibrant and often very commercial.

Toni said: “His landscapes and close-up shots leap off the canvas with a real wow-factor.”

Rob Shuttleworth, a company chief executive in his fifties, hones his skills as a photographyer whenever he gets the chance while travelling abroad for work.

Toni said: “He manages to capture the beauty in what some would see as the mundane and the effect always stops you in your tracks.

“His prints have a painterly quality that is rare, whether it be the sublime, haunting images of city scenes taken in Japan and Warsaw or the powerful graphic images of industrial buildings in Germany.”

Both Rob and the fourth exhibiting photographer, Mark Davies, completed City and Guilds courses in photography at Warwickshire College.

Describing Mark’s images as “fabulously vibrant”, Toni said: “His witty sense of humour and quirky take on life are reflected.”

It is in fact one of his works - an “almost hallucinogenic image with zingy colours”, says Toni, that inspired the title of the exhibition.

She said: “The zany image of Gormley’s Angel of the North takes pride of place in the window - looking like a cyber jellybaby.”

The exhibition runs until Saturday November 24, until when a selection of handcrafted kaleidoscopes are also available at the gallery.

Winter opening hours are Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 10.30am to 4.30pm, Fridays 10.30am to 5pm and on Sundays by appointment only. To find out more, call 408787 or go online.