Simon maps canal for exhibition
AN artist has taken his craft new lengths as he prepares for his latest exhibition.
Simon Woolham has mapped the Macclesfield Canal ahead of his exhibition at the Barnaby Festival.
He spent two days walking along the canal using graphite to take rubbings from along the 27.5 mile route.
Simon set off on Monday, June 4 from the junction with the Trent and Mersey Canal to the junction with the Peak Forest Canal at Marple.
He will use the artwork to build an immersive picture of his journey which will be open at during the festival.
Simon said: “It’s quite a big job. Nothing that I have collected gets thrown away. The work is about textures and creating perspectives. The act of creating it is also important, which is why people can come and watch.”
The artist is known for exploring geography to look at culture
He said: “I got into rubbings when I was a child watching Indiana Jones. They are like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. It is a way of recording and mapping something, but in a different way.
“The final piece will be quite dramatic as it is set against black curtains and it will all be monochrome.”
At the installation’s unveiling Simon will perform songs alongside fellow musicians, Helen Walford, with vocals and Heidi Jamila on fiddle.
Simon added: “The performances are also about exploring texture through music and vocal. The songs are written for the piece.”
The exhibition will be on at MADS Theatre, on Lord St, in Macclesfield and members of the public are welcome to watch Simon putting the pieces together on (Friday, June 15 to Sunday, June 17)
The installation will open on Friday June 22 and will be open for viewing until Sunday, June 24.