Presenting key works by international artists in the far west of Cornwall is a cornerstone of Newlyn Art Gallery & The Exchange’s programme. For its first Artist Rooms project the gallery will exhibit the work of American artist, Robert Therrien.

Born in 1947, Therrien lives and works in Los Angeles and has had major exhibitions throughout the world. His work examines the viewer's relationship to scale. Often alluding to modest household items, such as a stack of oversized plates or a 2.5m high oil can, Therrien’s works explore the space between reality and the world of dreams, drawing the viewer into the realm of fables and fairytales, childhood games and unfinished narratives. The immediacy, accessibility and playful relationship with childhood in Therrien’s work offer huge potential for The Exchange to build upon its track record for engaging young people with contemporary art.

The works on display are taken from Artist Rooms, an inspirational collection of modern and contemporary art acquired for the nation by Tate and National Galleries of Scotland through the generosity of Anthony d'Offay with additional support from funders, including the Art Fund. The Artist Rooms tour programme, now in its seventh year, is showing at 17 museums and galleries across the UK in 2015. The tour is supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and through the continued support of the Art Fund.

As well as the exhibition of key pieces by Therrien, there will be a full programme of associated events and activities. The Story Republic will take up residence in The Engine Room from 18th July for two weeks. Throughout their stay the talented collective of writers, musicians, poets and performers will devise activities and events in response to themes within the exhibition. The Collaborators, the gallery’s informal collective of young artists, will curate a programme of events throughout August and into September which will tap into Therrien’s propensity to draw out the absurd in the familiar, humour and playfulness, and the evocation of childhood dreams - or even nightmares.