Drawing Out the Canal is the outcome of the drawing, walking and talking project undertaken by Simon in August along the Kennet and Avon Canal. As an instinctive and organic process, interpreting the past, present and future visions of an important, historically and socially significant site the process engages with the spaces and surfaces through the physical process of rubbings from the architecture, machinery, towpaths, gates and locks. Developed from this process and generation of a variety of rubbings, an immersive as well as smaller, intimate artworks from the ‘textures of history’ in relation to the walk will be presented and explore the geography, history and narrative of the canal route as well as the the spaces of Drawing Projects UK. As part of the unveiling of the installation, Simon will perform and interpret the drawing through a performance with local musicians from the Trowbridge area.

The project is supported by the University of Huddersfield, where Simon is a lecturer and researcher, and the walk is also generating funding for The Pituitary Foundation, which you can read about this here. 

Simon’s practice as an artist, curator and teaching specialism is centred around expanded drawing research and methodology and this was the focus of his practice-led PhD from 2012 and awarded in 2016 at Manchester Metropolitan University. The PhD explored walking (in the broadest sense) and narrative in physical, virtual and psychological space, expanding on the notion of an artists’ residency of the mind. 

Between 2000 and 2012 Simon exhibited widely, including a residency and solo exhibition at The Lowry in Salford and Chapter Gallery in Cardiff, as well as numerous national and international group exhibitions. In 2008 he was included in the first Tatton Park Biennial and in 2006 he was Artist-in-Residence at Baltic – Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, he won the Mostyn Open 11 at Oriel Mostyn, Llandudno in 2001. Simon continues to develop his practice as an artist and researcher and since 2012 he has been curator and artistic programmer of the artist-led gallery PAPER in Manchester. He has presented papers at conferences both nationally and internationally, most recently at ‘Mapping Culture’ a conference in Coimbra, Portugal, and a ‘Deep Mapping’ conference at UCL in London.

The exhibition will be open on Fridays and Saturdays 12noon to 4pm, and Sundays from 11am to 1pm.

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