Outside, distraught
Fields, concrete, faces, walk
Earth, soil, engine, sweat
Loudly, slowly, heard
Kind, truth
Free
Lockdown forced a re-evaluation of the MA Realisation project. The original plan was to create large installation pieces incorporating colours and textures inspired by long walks in the countryside. These istallations on silk and satin would be overlayed with the text aquired from many people who replyed to my post on the facebook group #walk1000miles asking how, in just one word, walking makes them feel and adding name and place if they wished this to be added to the artwork. I recieved hundreds of replies so thankyou everyone.
Some of the text was put onto a silk screen at the university where it still sits due to lockdown. I printed only a few samples before the univerity closed.
I incorporated one of these samples into the short film I created of a local walk I do most days with my partner, Dale, and the dog, Minnie.
My new work is now on a smaller scale due to my lack of studio space. I has also changed direction slightly but still focusing on walks. We live near to the city centre but also near a park and a river. I am starting to introduce more urban landscape textures as well as nature onto silk scarves. The pebble scarf is reminiscent of a clear stream flowing over a pebbled floor.
It has been a slow process for me during lockdown and I have spoken to a few other artists who are having a hard time with motivation. I don’t know if this is because we are concerned about the future, worrying about catching the desease or how we willl come out of this financially. Whatever it may be al least I am managing to do something even if its just a little each day. Even tiny steps may lead somewhere in the end. Cyanotypes are great to do in this hot weather and I have plans to make an artists book/diary/journal based on my experience of the lockdown. So far I have collected a few bits to add including my first attempt at a blackout poem.
Nicki Dennett 