Newark, UK — For the first time in its history, the Spotlight Gallery at Newark Town Hall (Museum & Art Gallery) is hosting a top art exhibition. Titled Digital Explorations, this exhibition features the innovative work of Susan Kistner, a seasoned textile artist who has recently embraced the digital medium to enrich her practice.
The curator of this wonderful exhibition is Rebecca Fawcett (Senior Collections and Exhibitions Officer). This exhibit marks a significant shift not only in the venue’s curatorial direction but also in the broader conversation about what constitutes contemporary art. Kistner’s work embodies the evolving nature of creativity in the 21st century, where technology and tradition converge to generate new artistic languages.
Digital art offers artists a broad and flexible toolkit, allowing for freedom of expression beyond traditional materials like pencils or paint. For Kistner, this transition has been liberating. While her foundation lies in tactile practices such as drawing, painting, and collage, the incorporation of digital tools has added new dimensions and depth to her art.
‘Susan Kistner’s journey into digital art feels like a natural extension of her creative instincts’ said a spokesperson for the museum. ‘Her background in textiles and collage is vividly present in her digital pieces, demonstrating a mastery of texture and composition that translates beautifully onto the screen.’
Practicing since the 1970s, Kistner is no stranger to reinvention. A graduate of London Metropolitan University and the University of the Arts London in 2019, she brings both academic grounding and lived experience to her work. Her affiliation with ARTCAN, the Nottingham Association of Artists, and Newark Art Club LPW further situates her within a dynamic and supportive community of creators.
Now based in Newark, Kistner’s digital art is not merely an adaptation but a profound evolution. The works on display reflect her curiosity, adaptability, and willingness to explore uncharted territories in art-making.
During this exhibition, when I have asked her a few questions, she replies ‘In response to my work, drawn to digital art practice because of its versatility, digital processes offered an integral method in my approach to textiles. The work has more meaning; important to the audience, indicating that textiles is not just about making patterns, gives them something extra to consider and think about. I hope that artists are inspired to work digitally, as it opens up the possibility of being more creative and freer to work outside conventional practices. I hope to continue to extend my knowledge and practice further. I first heard about ASKNIGHTS from researching into digital practices and found that they were leading the art movements forward in an interesting direction. They had opened up new possibilities of working creatively in the future for artists willing to go further’.
To sum up, Digital Explorations is a top landmark exhibition that invites each of us to reconsider the role of technology in art and to celebrate an artist’s fearless leap into the digital unknown, an extended realm.
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