Method-Lab is an experimental residency between members of General-Practice (GP). The restrictions of Covid-19 has allowed the group to adapt and return to an experimental way of creating work. Throughout December, January and February members of GP will develop their individual practices, along with critical discourse using online video chat on a regular basis.
Method-Lab will be a way of experimenting and expanding on new techniques and ways of approaching and making work using the studio/project space to help expand and inform ways of working.
The artists will be developing work and sharing the results through social media and our website. At the end of Method-Lab the artists will be hosting a webinar to discuss the results of the residency, please book on at Eventbrite here.
The Notice Board brings international artists work to Uffington inviting responses to its ongoing theme: The Lands of the Free? This month a set of Polaroids taken by Nick Simpson on the Commons in Lincoln are offered. Commons are lands people have traditional rights over and free access to. The Notice Board likes how the photos provoke reflection on this at a time when our disconnection from nature is most greatly felt – evidenced perhaps by the mass reconnection during the pandemic? Yes Nick’s Polaroids are beautiful records of fleeting moments but also objects in their own right too. 1.4249 trillion digital photographs were taken in 2019 revealing both an accessibility to technology and our use of photos to make meaning. Polaroids were a precursor to this enabling many to take photos of the everyday, like the Box Brownie before them. But unlike this and our phones, which we couldn’t or don’t print, the Polaroid lets us generate an artefact. A seductive form that, like the Commons, offers us spaces beyond the digital that are needed now more than ever?
Nick says:
The first National Lockdown presented me with some surprising silver linings. The first of which was the chance to slow down and enjoy the changing seasons. Having always enjoyed walking but never before given so much dedicated time to it, I was able to develop an intimate relationship with my surroundings and find profound appreciation for environments which have been on my doorstep for many years.
A silver lining in disguise was my limited access to the creative materials and familiar equipment that resides in my studio. Without them, frustration led me to search the house for inspiration. Tucked away I rediscovered an old and slightly faulty polaroid camera, a fault which captures fragments of light and soft edge hues perfectly at certain times of day. Along with the accentuated colours captured in this traditional form of photography I was able to memorialise moments in my surroundings which are faithfully true to the moment and yet dreamlike. The painterly quality in the images became on obsession, and as my ability to recognise the perfect natural light grew, as did my mental map of the cities most beautiful spots.
Unlike the immediate and responsive nature of modern digital photography, this process relied on a balance of instinct and planning. With only 8 shots at a time to play with and the high cost, careful consideration was given to each one. It was this process that gave me the lesson in taking time to stop and look, and which nurtured my relationship with my surroundings. An observational endeavour that I believe will captivate me for many years to come.
Testimonial - Fiona Carruthers
///corner.proof.riders 2020 General practice Lincoln
(the piece gives the impression of a lyrical study of nature: a closely observed appreciation of its beauty. With closer attention however, other forces and processes become apparent. Wilfully enigmatic images sit alongside familiar shots. Given equal significance, these quietly disrupt the well-ordered calm of the familiar park motifs and gently acknowledge the connection between the contingencies inherent in the polaroid process and in our everyday lives.)
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///corner.proof.riders
General Practice, Lincoln.
9th - 31st October 2020
Andrew Bracey, Kate Buckley, Nick Simpson
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[gP] is an artist collective living and working from Lincoln, UK.
Promoting exchange with wider artist led initiatives nationally and internationally [gP] seeks to stimulate a critical discourse, and sustain an engaged visual arts culture in the city through the programming of exhibitions, events and workshops.
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With an emphasis on a fluid and experimental approach, gP encourages a diverse range of artistic practices that are developed collectively. Within the core group of approximately 10 artists there are on-going collaborations with more specific interests such as Curio, Mulch, Angry Gang, GAST, Reel and KAC which extend into the wider artistic community, incorporating contributions from practitioners in other locales. This collaborative ethos is clearly demonstrated through our workshop practice too; continuing to encourage collective exploration of creative subjects, blurring the line between workshop facilitators and workshop attendees.
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[gP] has begun offering a selection of events, workshops and exhibitions for 2020.
The calendar shows all upcoming events we have planned so far. Keep checking back for more info on what is happening next.
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Regular events include life drawing classes and open crits at our project studio on Clasketgate, Lincoln.
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