#Threshold2015 // The Amazing Visual Arts At This Year's Threshold Festival

Threshold is renowned for its daring and original visual arts and 2015 is a standout year

With work from 36 fantastically diverse artists on display around the Threshold venues, the art for Threshold V has been a revelation.

The main exhibition features in the inspired setting of the wonderfully crumbling Liverpool Craft Beer Space on Bridgewater Street. Curated by the talented Jazamin Sinclair alongside Andy Minnis, who have really come into their own with this year's offering, the theme is Contrasting Geometries.

Set against a background of a new Threshold brand and identity by lead designer, James Kirkham, this year's established and emerging artists were asked to explore and interpret the themes of Contrasting Geometries and the notion of V for Versus through their work. This could be contrasting shapes, dimensions, media or the natural versus the artificial.

And the artists have risen to the challenge in a brilliant Threshold fashion.

Leon Jakeman's staggering Drama Triangle took the legs from under us with its overwhelming central orange triangle, which appears to holding the roof of the Craft Beer space aloft.

Some other highlights were Robert Flynn's multi-media Metamorphosis, which was endlessly intriguing and difficult to leave. Laura Lomax's Harmonograph is a kinetic sculpture that provides the very best kind of interactive art using a swing pendulum.  

Even Threshold Director Andy Minnis joined in the creativity with his engaging Typeset,  which is like a wonderful and wistful ghost of printing (and Thresholds) past.

And of course we can't leave without a mention of Threshold favourite Robyn Woolston whose Tomb of the Unknown Soldier demands closer (much, much closer) inspection to see all of the elements on display from the huge backdrop of a defence missile being launched from a warship (which, quite astonishingly, was originally used as a promotional tool) to the rows of tiny reclaimed plastic soldiers. 

Another great year for inspired and inspiring art at Threshold. 

(Words Andrea McGuire/All images © Graham Smillie)