Multiple Choice – Contemporary Prints & Editions from Private Collections in the North

Many people consider that collecting contemporary art is only for the very wealthy, perhaps unsurprisingly, given the headline-grabbing auction sales and high-profile private collectors that have dominated the media representation of the art market over the past 20 years. Yet many ordinary people have also started quietly buying and living with contemporary art, finding opportunities to acquire art on more modest budgets. This often includes purchasing limited edition prints and multiples, a particularly affordable way to build a collection.

Multiple Choice draws together work from just such private, domestic contexts, made possible thanks to the generosity of the individuals who have agreed to live without their cherished artworks for the duration of the exhibition. The work selected demonstrates diverse production methods, ranging from traditional print-making techniques – etching, lithography and silkcreen – to digitally-reproduced works on paper and machine-made 3D multiples.

It is presented in two parts, in Berwick and Queens Hall,  Hexham, and we encourage visitors to see both venues. The exhibition features a broad range of artists from established figures such as Tracey Emin, David Hockney, Paul Morrison, George Shaw and Mark Wallinger, to younger artists including Catherine Bertola, Benedict Drew, Nick Kennedy, Michael Mulvihill and Stephen Palmer.

Multiple Choice is curated in collaboration with Contemporary Art Society, a 100-year charity committed to encouraging an appreciation and understanding of contemporary art by a wide audience, who also operate a membership network of art enthusiasts, supporters and collectors across the North of England: www.contemporaryartsociety.org/north

Multiple Choice at Queens Hall, Hexham is open from 19 October to 23 November. www.queenshall.co.uk