LITTORAL - Marks from the margins

I and a group of artists, most of whom have recently graduated from the School of Creative Arts at the University of the West of England have now started to work towards this show at the Create Centre in Bristol. The Create Centre works with enviromental issues, and therefore this show feels both important, timely and challenging.Thanks to Anna Harley’s iniatative, Littoral has become a reality.

Many of our group now work locally from Spike Island Studios. We are united through our concern with an internal and external response to landscape. Our works reflect a broad range of print and other applied art processes, both traditional and contemporary in character.

The group aim is to explore the role of contemporary print and applied art within the Northern European Landscape Tradition, with a unifying theme of the littoral zone. The term, ‘littoral’ refers to the margin of land between the low and high tide mark that is characteristic of tidal areas, such as the local landscape of the Severn Estuary, with its dramatic tidal flows. Our individual and unique responses to this continually changing environment are expressed in diverse and innovative approaches to print and mark making.

Each artist taking part will produce a collection of work, in preparation for a group exhibition, in response to the theme of the Littoral.This group collection of work calls for an exhibition space that is itself located near the shoreline. The situation of the Create Centre, by one of the most dramatic tidal ranges in the world, makes this Gallery location particularly relevant to our theme.

In physical terms, the littoral zone is the area of land that extends from the high water mark at the edge of a body of water, to the shoreline areas that are often submerged. The adjacency of water gives a number of distinctive characteristics to littoral regions. Water’s erosive power results in particular types of landforms, such as sand dunes, and estuaries. The natural movement of the littoral along the coast is called the littoral drift.

Conceptually, the littoral zone can be taken to mean the areas of our psyche that are most often hidden from view - only surfacing at times of extremes. The transient nature of this marginal area and its continual state of flux, acts as a rich source of symbolism for our imagery. The twice daily tidal flow of water is a metaphor often used to explore the passing of time, that acts as a marker of our human frailty (time and tide wait for no man) and the endless repetitions in life (constant ebb and flow of life). As with water, the erosive power of time and our life experiences form us; our personalities, self- esteem, psychological profiles, physical strength and stamina and life choices.

This is feedback from Maxine Badger on the ‘artartart’ article Sun, 28 Feb 2010. She writes:

‘I found you in an article on Matt Roberts e-magazine, and have been
reading with interest about your attitude to art, particularly the
connecting affect of printmaking, and how it seems to suit modern
technology/communication.
I trained as a painter back in the mid eighties (graduating from
Bristol in 86!) and am still at it. One of my main worries about the
role of artist is the working in a bubble bit, and then expecting
people to like my work on gallery walls. I have sold, but can’t make a
living.

You talk of an honourable practice - I like this idea ‘being able to be
an individual in a collective environment’ This is something I battle
with! my love of nature (walks/cycles) seem cut off from society’s core
values and symbols of status..
I have just shown in a Haiti fundraiser exhibition here in Brighton and
only one persons photo sold, albeit we raised £350 on chocolate
brownies and cupcakes and camomile & straw tea!!’

I especially like Maxine’s comment on making money from the tea and cakes! Why not say that this is art too? A cup cake and a cup of tea can give someone a moment of pleasure - and it is an act of making and sharing, just like a painting.

I am starting to call my printwork an exchange medium. I believe now that the cupcake is also an exchange medium!