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One of the North East’s fastest growing pharmaceutical businesses, The Specials Laboratory, is undergoing an artistic analysis after management commissioned an award-winning photographer and film-maker to explore the inner workings of the company for its latest art installation.
The Prudhoe-based company has signed-up Neil Armstrong to create a new audio-visual art work that will go on show at the headquarters of the award-winning business to welcome visitors and engage staff.
Neil said: “I have worked with a number of businesses in the past, creating bespoke pieces of art, but I really wanted to start working with Specials Lab with a fresh and clean mind. Although this project will reflect concerns that already run through my work, it is important to approach each commission as a blank canvas which is informed by both artist and their subject.
“A key element of any artist’s work is to try and look at their subject from a fresh perspective and produce something thought provoking. The finished piece will have a pertinent link to the people and culture of The Specials Laboratory, but I will also aim to provide a visual insight for outsiders.”
The Newcastle-based artist has been honoured with a Royal Television Society award for his graphic design work on television, and he explained that there were many hidden elements inside the company that he was hoping to highlight. He added: “It’s not just the obvious eye-catching machines that I will be filming because there are definitely two different atmospheres existing within the business and explaining that visually excites me.”
Neil plans to show the final piece on four television screens built into a pillar structure, with each video on a cycle which includes interviews with members of staff.
The work has been commissioned by Brian Dougherty, Chairman of The Specials Laboratory. He said: “This artwork demonstrates our commitment to our staff and the environment in which they work. We are not just a business, but a community and this project demonstrates our determination to make our surroundings as welcoming as possible.”
