9 minute read
Home is Where the Art is
Back in mid-March, before our lives took an unexpected turn, Nottingham Contemporary hosted a fair celebrating all things print. It was my last cultural day out, and with a variety of workshops and some thirty stalls to browse, it did not disappoint. The fair introduced me to many talented makers based here in Nottingham, and now, without galleries to visit, it’s a great time to bring art into the home, while supporting Nottingham’s creative community. Here are a few of the featured artists, whose works are available for purchase…
CurrentlyKimmy
You can’t help but marvel at the incredible craftsmanship and imagination of CurrentlyKimmy (aka Kimberley-Rose Gardner). Using a 0.05mm black fine liner pen on white paper, her illustrations are composed of a meticulous assemblage of dots. Kim’s inspirations are vast, depicting subjects that pique her curiosity including the beauty and strangeness of nature and fantastical tales from folklore and myths.
In the Ttlji tree series, each tree is diverse in form, yet they all have a sense of personality and a commanding presence. ‘Ttlji’ is a language created by the artist based on spirituality, and the ideas of trees having a voice to communicate with one another. As affordable A5 prints, the works lend themselves to being displayed as multiples in a woodland configuration.
CurrentlyKimmy’s hybrid fantasy series takes inspiration from mythology, giving characters extraordinary forms befitting their epic tales. Medea, the Greek sorceress, is part-octopus, part-frog; Pasiphaë, Queen of Crete, is both minotaur and sea creature; and Atargatis, the drowned goddess, is fated to be part-woman, part-fish. Despite layered interpretation and complex forms, each image is unashamedly minimalistic – every tiny dot exists for a reason.
etsy.com/uk/shop/CurrentlyKimmy
Lawrence James English
The line drawing illustrations of Lawrence James English primarily feature an assortment of tangled and contorted bodies. The artist takes inspiration from the energy of music; you might recognise his art from murals on the walls of Rough Trade, or from the artwork of the Nottingham band, Kagoule (Lawrence is the drummer). In creating the visuals for Kagoule, the artist developed a distinctive style reflecting the sound. A sense of tension and discomfort runs through the work, as well as rhythm and raw energy.
In the Buoys series, illustrations arrange bodies with strong outstretched limbs upon vibrant background colours. The figures convey points of tension; representing the fine line between dancing and straining, sinking and floating. In some prints, the subject fights to hold a powerful stance, while outstretched arms pull them against their will. It reminded me of a mosh pit, where you are at once held up and pushed down. Lawrence is inspired by tattoo designs – he also provides tattoo design commissions if you are looking to decorate your body.
lawrencejamesenglish.com/shop-1
Katrina Sophia
Working primarily in watercolour, Katrina Sophia’s aim is to celebrate the wonder of the natural world. In her online shop you can expect to find prints of quirky cactuses in colourful pots, beautiful delicate wildflowers, as well as butterflies and beetles. Katrina collects ideas from her wild garden, countryside walks, natural history books, and through her abundance of houseplants. Each illustration shows a fascination with the details of nature, from the faint patterns on a petal, to the intricate wings of a butterfly.
To anyone looking to bring the wondrous outdoors into their home, the product range includes prints, ceramics, stationery, greeting cards, and accessories, with free UK shipping. It would make a particularly heartfelt gift for anyone craving nature, and the vast greeting card range is beautifully designed, joyous and playful.
katrinasophia.com
Geri Draws Japan
Sushi, bonsai trees, koi fish and kimonos – Geri Coady, aka Geri Draws Japan, illustrates iconic aspects of Japanese culture. As well as prints, her shop also sells accessories: sew on patches, art pins and stickers, representing “kawaii” – the Japanese concept of cuteness.
Geri’s artworks are born from a lifelong passion for Japanese travel, food, and culture, and each illustration is invested with a sense of excitement and a fascination that could only belong to a non-native. The 100 Days of Japan series includes a range of subjects from pop culture, traditional icons, nature, and aspects of everyday life. Each print is on square paper, a bit like origami sheets, and uses an exuberant pop art style with a colourful palette and flat planes.
My favourite illustration series profiles thirty influential and inspirational Japanese women in both modern and ancient times, spanning a range of disciplines. Each woman appears surrounded by symbols of their achievement, depicted in a style more reminiscent of Japanese woodblock prints. The women include Murasaki Shikibu, the world’s first novelist, Komako Kimura, a prominent early 1900s suffragist, and (embarrassingly) the only figure I recognised, contemporary artist Kusama Yayoi, known for her polka-dotted wonderlands.
geridrawsjapan.com/shop
Rachel Mahon
The inspiration for Rachel Mahon’s prints comes from the plants her green-fingered husband grows in their home and garden. Each print has a contemporary edge, representing a range of plants through abstracted shapes, emphasising form. She illustrated the large oval leaves of a rubber plant, the finger-like leaves of the blue star fern, and the small draping leaves of a peperomia. Rather than being predominantly green, the artist uses a vibrant palette, and overlapping ink gives the illusion of light passing through varying densities. Her designs can also be found on greeting cards (each printed on kraft paper) and notebooks.
interview: Rachel Willcocks
In a bid to inspire creative communication through traditional, tangible methods, Tracy Meek is combating loneliness and isolation the old-fashioned way. We caught up with the artist to discuss Isolation Art Mail, her community art intervention project that encourages people to share a collaborative chain letter of unfinished artwork...
Conversations through the digital sphere today feel like we've zoomed fast-forward into the future, but without the high-definition holograms and human-like intelligent machines. There are so many new experiences moving online that are supposed to help us feel less isolated: quizzes, classes, dates, talks, parties, workshops, weddings, graduation ceremonies – you name it, it's probably happened on Zoom over the last few months. But for all the benefits technology has brought into our lives, it’s made it increasingly difficult to turn away from our screens. Step in artist Tracy Meek, who’s taking notes from the past by getting familiar with a good old-fashioned letter, with an arty twist.
The Isolation Art Mail project was set up by East Midlands artist Tracey Meek. Her work is spontaneous, playful and inspired by the subtle in-betweens in life, seemingly unimportant moments and happenings that translate into a captured memory. The project takes shape in a collaborative chain letter/art trail. It starts with a letter through the post in the form of a piece of unfinished art that participants are invited to contribute to. It's a way of connecting creatively, sharing experience and feeling like we are part of something.
Firstly, what was your inspiration for such a unique project?
When I came up with the concept, it was more of a response to the idea of isolation rather than the COVID situation alone. I wanted to help, but it made me think of the people who live with loneliness every day. I am a very tactile person, I love a handwritten letter in the post, and it's been a long time since I sent or received one. I guess in a way, it was part of my coping strategy. I talked through my idea with my friend Lauren and we decided to try it out, just me and her, and it was a lot of fun!
How many people have signed up so far, and where are they from?
62 now, and counting! People have signed up from all over the country, and internationally as well: US, Canada, Australia and South Korea. The majority of people have found me on Instagram through relentless rooftop shouting.
Do you think this has brought people together, and why?
Definitely. When I started, I wanted it to be almost like sharing a moment with a stranger, bringing a voice to an otherwise quiet table. What's nice is that people are really connecting with their fellow art mailers. They're sending little notes of motivation and sometimes silly little gifts like seeds to plant and badges. The feedback has been so nice, it feels really good to know that I am helping in some way.
What kind of feedback have you been getting from people?
I've had a few lovely messages from people telling me how much it has helped. I had an artist get in touch the other day to tell me that it had helped get her out of a creative rut. And the support has been reciprocated. I had to step back for a week as a very close friend passed away, so of course, I let mailers know what was happening so that they weren't left hanging. I had so many nice emails though, offering condolences.
Have you faced any challenges, and how have you overcome them?
Working from home has been a bit testing. At times my living room has been an explosion of coloured papers and envelopes. It took me a little while to figure out data protection, as it's impossible to not have addresses in a chain letter. At the moment, it is mostly a self-funded project, so if each chain came back to me to send out again, it would prove very difficult. The first few went out with a kind of disclaimer when signing up, and then I decided to give everyone code names. This has actually been fun in itself and I think it has added to the charm.
Do you think that sending letters, cards and other forms of communication via post to people is more important now than previously?
It has always been important, we've just forgotten how important it is to be tactile. We're so digital, even my daughter and I often communicate via text, even when she is just upstairs. This crisis has given us a chance to slow down, not just physically but mentally. I'm hopeful that mindsets will have some kind of permanent change in that respect. I think it works with what we are experiencing now because we have no real sight as to when all this will end, the prospect of something so nice finding its way to you through the post is quite special.
Where does the project go from here?
Oh, you name it, I have some big ideas up my sleeve! I'm hoping to develop further in schools. I'm also setting up a kind of art 'pen friend' pack, which will be aimed at individuals wanting to connect with their own friendship groups or families. These will be available on my website in the coming weeks. There will be an exhibition when social restrictions are lifted and when the art mail has found its way home. It will be really great to see all the work together, and hopefully a chance to meet those that have been involved!
traceymeek.com/art-mail
