The Art Pot Founders, Lucia and Emilia, had the chance to speak with artists, Kate, Megan and Lorraine about their upcoming online exhibition 'Idiosyncratic' which goes live this Wednesday the 17th March. Read the summary of their work below followed by a brief conversation with the artists and make sure to check it out on Wednesday!
"We are pleased to announce Idiosyncratic - a collaborative art and photography online exhibition between three UK based North West artists, Megan Mcloughlin, Kate Clarke and Lorraine Connor, centred around unique, cameraless processes.
This event is available online from March 17th-24th and combines the use of art and photography mediums, using a range of cameraless techniques: digital art, cyanotype, lumen and chemigram processes. In response to the theme idiosyncratic, each artist has created a body of work which is unique and special to them.
Cameraless is the process of creating work without the use of a camera. These artists have embraced this practice, utilising both historical and contemporary mediums dating from 1800s to present day. Megan and Lorraine work with traditional darkroom processes, chemigram, lumen print and cyanotype processes, which are historical photography techniques using light sensitive chemicals and paper to produce images. They primarily use natural materials such as flowers, whilst also using chemical resists to create abstract patterns. In contrast to this, Kate uses contemporary approaches, creating mixed media prints that are filled with reality and positivity."
Live from 17th -24th March 2021
Kate Clarke Instagram: @youareloved_kl
Megan Mcloughlin Instagram: @thelenslessphotographer
Lorraine Connor Instagram: @lorraineconnorprints
1. What inspired you to pursue this experimental side of photography?
We have all shown an interest in experimental works through our time spent studying photography at university, but we’ve all taken different approaches to the subject and found our own specialist areas. Megan was inspired through our tutor teaching about experimentation and realising that it can look really beautiful in its abstract. CB Hoyo was an artist that inspired Kate to start creating works with quotes, seeing what she could use and what looked best to her. Lorraine was inspired through research into historical processes and wanting to explore early techniques and creating pieces which are completely unique and couldn’t be recreated again.
2. Who is your favourite photographer?
Kate’s favourite photographer is William Eggleston due to his use of colour. Lorraine and Megan both choose Anna Atkins, the pioneer of the Cyanotype technique. Megan loves a historical process, and Lorraine is inspired by her use of natural materials in the cameraless process.
3. How do think the idea of ephemera relates to your work?
The processes we use cannot be recreated. The use of mixed media and collaged work and prints created using nature and abstract patterns are completely unique and couldn’t be reproduced again. Its nature goes against it because the process has lasted and been picked up by many for so long. It's also continually adapted from the people who learn it.
4. What are you hoping to gain at a personal level from this exhibition?
The aims for this exhibition are for people to be aware of what we do on a professional level and to get ourselves out there. We hope to gain confidence showcasing our work to a public audience rather than a small intimate group, and to show our skills as emerging artists, making more people aware of our techniques used and specialist areas.
5. What advice would you give to people interested in experimenting with photography?
Kate “Don’t be scared to go for anything you want. If you think something would be a good idea try it. As long as you do everything out of respect, then there is no limit with doing what you want with photography”
Megan “Do what makes you happy first and foremost. You can only develop properly in my experience when you enjoy the specialism. Darkroom didn't go right to me until I started enjoying it”
Lorraine “Keep experimenting. Even if things don’t turn out right, it is all part of the process and often the best works are those that came from experimentation and trying new ideas and approaches”
6. What does the light mean to you? Can you ultimately catch it from a lens?
Light is essential in our practice, and not necessarily just through a lens. The work produced by Megan and Lorraine relies on the use of UV rays without a camera to produce their pieces. Megan says “light ultimately means my process. Without it, I am incapable. I think you can capture it, but my process is primarily lensless, and catching it is a matter of just using the right materials”
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