LONGWOOD Sculptor Suzanne North, who has a small corner studio in the stableyard at Dean Clough, Halifax, for more than 10 years, has welcomed a move to larger premises in the same yard.

She proudly showed it off at an open studio event last Saturday, which included a small display of new sculptures. “The new studio is more than four times bigger and will give me much more space for developing my stonework”, she says.

“I can work in a white space and photograph the work. The studio will give me more space to work on a scale that is suitable for a gallery. I am making a body of work for a London gallery”.

Suzanne hopes to develop more pieces using fluorescent acrylic, mixed with slate, the latest example of which was on view for visitors.

Two new exhibitions which opened at Dean Clough last weekend are worth visiting. Sheila Tilmouth was artist-in-residence at an organic farm north-east of Carlisle, and has depicted in some excellent prints, various processes to do with food production.

There is a lovely evocation of harvest time, with flowers and vegetables beautifully photographed. She does not shrink from showing the realism of the animal trade, and there are photographs of the work of the abattoir.

Food also figures significantly in Hilly Fletcher’s exhibition in the photographic gallery, titles Eating Disorder. This show combines humour with some hard-hitting imagery. We see piece of Yorkshire ham, studded with nails.

Raw lambs’ kidneys appear in a burgundy glass and asparagus tips are encased in barbed wire. There’s a bandaged banana, and a piece of rump steak indented with numerous safety pins.

But the artist says she is not trying to shock. “It is meant to make people think”, she says. “I know a lot of women and girls who have had eating disorders. This is one way of bringing it out into public view”.

l PETER BROOK will be on hand at the Harrison Lord Gallery, Halifax, tomorrow, for the launch of his latest exhibition which gallery proprietor David Wooffindin says will by far the biggest show of Peter’s work in the venue for several years.

In addition to eight or 10 original paintings, there will be three exclusive limited edition prints of 100 available only at the gallery. Peter will be around to meet customers and to sign paintings. The exhibition will continue until December 1.