Landlines - Explorations of Art, Landscape and the Environment

About

What is the role of the contemporary artist in thinking about landscape and the environment in the early 21st century? Landlines at The Royal Geographical Society (with IGB) explores this question, showcasing fifteen artists working in or with landscape. Using a range of media, they hold the common goal of sharing their fascination with the environment.

As part of the Wilderness Art Collective, all the artists are committed to making work that celebrates the best aspects of our planet whilst offering insights into the challenges we face today through mass consumption, urban expansion and climate change. As artists they share messages of positivity and simultaneously question the choices we are making as global citizens and guardians. 

Working in a range of media that reflects the debate around representation vs expression, the artists engage in all manner of practices. These include: long-distance walks; collecting pigments from remote places on the planet; epic cycle rides across entire countries or dangerous swims in British winter seas. Through their artworks, Landlines explores the outer limits of what it means to be working with the landscape as an artist today. 

Artists showing are:

Lucy Devenish
Brian Thompson
Nickolai Globe
Hannah Scott
Stephen Bennett
Sam Gare
Catalina Christensen
Luke M Walker
Sam Mould
Louise Ann Wilson
Polly Bennet
Geraldine van Heemstra
Peter Geraerts
Eva Ullrich
Sam Peacock

Lunchtime Talks and Demonstrations

As part of the show, a selection of the exhibiting artists will be giving a series of lunchtime talks and demonstrations in the exhibition space. This will be a chance to meet the artists and discuss their work.

REMEMBERING

THURSDAY 5Th SEPTEMBER, 12:30 to 1:10

Artist Louise Ann will discuss her two works in Landlines: Dorothy’s Room and Women’s Walks to Remember: 'With memory was there'.

Both pieces are interconnected and explore the loss of ability to walk, a longed for landscape, and how this is done through remembering.

DO YOU EVER WONDER HOW PIGMENTS ARE MADE?

FRIDAY 6th September, 12:30 to 1:10

Pigments gatherer, creator and collector Catalina Christensen will have a pigment working station where all the steps in the process of creating pigments from natural rocks will be explained.

You will also be able to observe her pigment installation with raw pigments, rocks, fossils and 3D works that incorporate the pigments.

WILD SPACES

SATURDAY 7th SEPTEMBER, 12:30 to 1:45

Sam Mould will read a couple of pieces made in conjunction with her work that are connected to our experience of landscape.

 Wild spaces and outdoor places inform the words from lived experiences in ancient woodlands, snowy mountains, waterways, hilltops, cold oceans and magical lakes. This links directly into the visual work where the notion of place connects with landscape, site and memory. Using language as cartography to explore our unreserved and innate connection to the natural world.

Followed by:

WILDERNESS ART COLLECTIVE

The founders of the Wilderness Art Collective: Sam Gare, Luke Walker and Catalina Christensen will talk about the creation of the Wilderness Art Collective, their goals and projects plus future plans.

THOSE BEFORE US

MONDAY 9th September, 12:30 to 1:10

Peter Geraerts will talk about how his photography has been inspired by those pioneering explorers. Peter states that for him,“It was never about the success or failure of the expeditions, it’s the fact that they were prepared to risk everything in their pursuit. To be able to experience the raw elements in the extreme and to gasp at the scale and beauty of nature is something that I’ll always be drawn to.”

A chance to gain a fascinating insight into Peter’s extraordinary photography and the lengths he goes to, to get the perfect image.

INSPIRED BY WILD COASTAL SWIMMING

TUESDAY 10TH September, 12:30 to 1:10

Lucy Devenish’s art practice is driven by her experience of wild coastal swimming. Each swim is an act of endurance and immersion - working becomes breathing, sweating and struggling.

Once in her studio, her sketches, maps and footage done with a head camera while swimming are translated into bodies of work reflecting her experience.

DRAWING AND ETCHING DEVICES

WEDNESDAY 11th September, 12:30 to 1:10

Geraldine van Heemstra will talk about her recent work, which centres around walking and her connection to the natural world.

She will explain how her drawing/etching devices record the intangibility of the elements, primarily in the Hebrides with its strong and changeable weather, where both she and these devices become the conduit for the unseen in that you only see the wind, for example, through what it touches.

UNDERSTANDING DECORATIVE SURFACES

THURSDAY 12th September, 12:30 to 1:10

In 2018 Polly Bennett was awarded The Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers Decorative Surfaces Fellowship, the skills from which she has since amalgamated into her practice.

Polly will demonstrate one of the techniques she has learnt, by gilding an object, which once finished, will be added to her installation.

DETECTING METAL

thursday 12th September, All day - 10:00am - 5:00pm

Sam Peacock will be demonstrating how metal detecting influences parts of the work he creates.

During Landlines, you will be able to speak to Sam directly and have hands on experience using a metal detector.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ART IN UNEXPECTED PLACES

FRIDAY 13th September, 12:30 to 1:10

Anthony Garratt will speak about this year’s installation projects: To All At Sea on Anglesey and Art For Good in Cornwall.

He will also talk about why he thin thinks art in unexpected places is important in a society with a tendency to look down instead of outward.

HANDLING PIECES

SATURDAY 14th September, 3 to 3:40 pm

Sculptor Brian Thompson will talk about his work at the exhibition.

The audience will have the rare opportunity to handle small sculptures in a similar range of materials to the ones on show, giving you a good insight to the different qualities of the materials and an opportunity to talk about the meaning of the work in a novel way.

book here