Friday 16 October 2020

Livingmaps: Dreaming of a Post-Covid World


 I currently have 2  pieces of work in the  Lockdown Art  Exhibition  at Creek Creative, Faversham. I've visited a couple of times  now  and there's some really interesting   artwork  on display reflecting different peoples experiences.  Wonderful to be doing something almost ' normal' again! 

 ' Nimbushimano' 

'Shimanonimbus' 

 In July I produced  these collaged  maps in response to invitation  by the Livingmaps network   to submit work on the theme of  'Mapping the Pandemic : Dreaming of a Post-Covid- World' and took part in a fantastic  webinar . I've just been re-watching it  ( I'm  at 57 minutes )  and had forgotten   how varied  and  poignant the work was.   
This is now being  written up for publication in the LivingMaps Review,   below is the  image of  my submission and a   summary  of   the ideas behind it. 
  


 "Before lockdown I travelled regularly by train from Faversham in Kent to London to visit galleries and for art courses and made artworks based on my journeys, my ‘Space Out Of Time’.  These included an installation of stitched overlapping booklets of tracings of maps along the route.  I primarily work with multi-layered, worn, textiles:  double- sided semi-translucent loops, referencing the continual repeats of my travels and linear records of walks on painted strips of calico.   

In lockdown, my focus has become been very local, using my bike to explore the countryside around me. I’m increasingly risk averse and feel safer on my bike than on foot, a travelling island with limited contact with people. My map ‘Shimanonimbus’ uses photos of my bike, altered in Photoshop, de-constructed and collaged onto a background of painted newspaper with glimpses of underlying text and colour. The shapes remind me of places visited and where I hope to travel to once more."  


 Hop  Fields, Graveney Road ,  June 2020