Artists in Residence: 16th May - 29th June 2022
Bankside Hotel, Art Yard Gallery, London SE1 9JU
Bankside Hotel x Contemporary Collective are thrilled to welcome British Contemporary Artist Lucy Stevens to the Art Yard Gallery as their next Artist in Residence. During the course of her residency, Lucy will create a new collection of 2D mixed media artworks to explore the birdlife along the River Thames and Tower Bridge including local and invasive species.
The residency will present a rare opportunity for Lucy to focus on an area in London where birdlife is under threat when it should be flourishing by the river and surrounding areas. With this concept in mind, will develop relationships with local members and volunteers of birding societies in London and the London Wildlife Trust. In addition, Lucy will have discussions in advance and during her time in London to discover the best places to go bird watching and also share observational and conservation data that can bi incorporated into her artwork.
As part of her residency, visitors can expect to see the development of a variety of works on paper and canvas to include photography of bird skins from the natural science collection at the Leicester Museum. Lucy will also gather field recordings at dawn in various locations by the river and underwater recordings using specialist microphones to visualise the sound and incorporate it into her drawings and paintings using mixed media.
Lucy also plans to create a collection of small drawings exploring intense colour combinations using wax pastels to highlight some of the places she has been inspired by including bird watching spots and areas managed by the Wildlife Trust along the river. In total, Lucy aims to produce at least 15 artworks at various sizes from A5 to A0 in size.
For the duration of her residency, Lucy will take over the Contemporary Collective Instagram account to document her experience in the studio space. This takeover will feature process shots and final artworks to provide insight into Lucy’s creative process, as well as weekly summaries including video clips of various activities taking place in the Art Yard Gallery. Lucy will host a range of events whilst in residency supported by the London National History Society, including a Visualising Birdsong and Collage Workshop and a discussion with Pete Mantle, a local birding expert, about the various birds of London.
About Lucy's Practice:
Lucy Stevens is a British Contemporary artist whose work explores our relationship with the natural environment on a social and cultural level. She draws inspiration from ornithology, colour theory, and natural science collections. She is also an amateur birdwatcher. Her projects often include working in collaboration with experts in the natural world including scientists, museum curators, ornithologists, photographers, and musicians.
She creates mixed media abstract portraits of birds on paper, and sound works developed from gathering field recordings from the rural environment. Lucy lives and works in Leicester. She received an MA and BA (Hons) in Fine Art from Nottingham Trent University. Her work has been shown in exhibitions and art fairs across the East Midlands, Yorkshire, East Anglia, and London. She has also taken part in artist residencies in Scotland, Brussels, France, and Sweden.
View the full collection of Lucy's artworks
Residency events:
22nd June, 18:00 - 20:00: Visualising Birdsong and Collage Workshop
27th June, 18:00 - 19:00: Birds of London | Artist Discussion with the Wildlife Trust
29th June, 18:00 - 20:00: Meet the Artist Evening | End of Residency Drinks & Exhibition
Residency Partners:
For any further information, please do not hesitate to contact Jenna Sachs: Jenna@artellite.co.uk / 020 3701 7412 / www.DegreeArt.com
