Tragic musician’s talents as visual artist put on display

The exhibition will showcase a wide range of Mr Banks’s work including still life observations, mixed media studies and images created using kinetic drawing machines which the artist designed and constructed himself.

Mr Banks, 49, a popular and well-loved character on the Dewsbury live music scene, died earlier this year after he tried to retrieve keys he had dropped down a drain and drowned.

The exhibition aims to re-appraise his visual art, which is perhaps less well-known than his work as a musician.

The project was initiated by Mr Banks’s close friend, artist Karen Stansfield, with full support from the Banks family.

She began the task of tracking down artwork for the exhibition and learning to use the kinetic drawing machines which Mr Banks had created.

She said: “Andy was a well-known and respected musician in the area, renowned for his incredible musical talent. Whilst his ability to play many instruments was an amazing thing, I want to draw attention to the other aspects of his creativity. His visual art is powerful and wide ranging.”

Mr Banks held a fascination with outer space which resulted in a series of delicate wood carvings and prints. He also created a series of ink and wax mixed media sketches of famous landmarks whilst on an educational trip to Paris back in the 1990s, which will be showcased in the exhibition.

Another friend Damian Clark was in the band Ship of Fools with Mr Banks and enjoyed years of musical collaborations and adventures with him. “Andy’s music and his visual art are intrinsically linked together,” he said.

The framing of the work has been completed by fellow musician and friend, Adrian Burnham of BDL Framing, Huddersfield. “We chose a variety of framing materials from solid oak to Perspex to complement his work. Andy worked with many materials and was a skilled maker, I am sure he would approve of the choices that we have made for his work.”

There will be a series of workshops and demonstrations running alongside the exhibition, including visits for schools. Drop-in workshops are to be held on September 21, from 11am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm, as well as September 28 from 10am to 2pm.

The workshops are free but children must be accompanied by an adult. The workshops and exhibition have been supported by the Kirklees Arts in the Neighbourhood scheme.