We have an instinctive need to belong. In these new artworks, Beech tells a story about this over a game of snooker. He takes a journey through love, grief and acceptance by showing a mixture of performance film, sculpture, audio and installation.

 

The surface of the snooker table becomes a metaphor for outdoor greenspaces. Beech’s work just as much imagines a reclaiming and rewilding of these spaces, as it takes a moment to pause and appreciate the hidden beauty of life on the edge.

 

The show’s title, Winner Breaks First, alludes to the game itself, the rules of play and the relationships between players. It also references the pressures and failings of success and the damages done to us when we break down. Beech’s experiences of both queerness and madness run throughout his work. At times, his work can be dark and uneasy or open and raw. Sometimes, a little bit like life, it can be funny and absurd too.

 

This exhibition is Beech’s first institutional solo show. Commissioned to create this new work by Humber Street Gallery, he has taken the opportunity to make ambitious ideas happen, learn new skills and grow.

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Photo credit: Jules Lister