Artist in Residence Yan Wang Preston launches OFFSHOOT at RHS Garden Bridgewater.
Join us at RHS Garden Bridgewater to meet photographer Yan, hear about her residency to date – and find out how you can become a ‘Memory Keeper’ for our magnificent 300 year old tree!
Saturday 21 June – 10:30am to 1pm at RHS Garden Bridgewater Learning Studio £5 entry (refreshments included)
In the historical grounds of RHS Garden Bridgewater stands a magnificent sweet chestnut tree, estimated to be around 300 years old. What vibrant, turbulent and wonderful memories could this tree tell us about our history? What memories does it keep?
Yan Wang Preston, OFFSHOOT Artist in Residence at RHS Garden Bridgewater plans to create an artwork to honour the sweet chestnut’s life, and to retrace and explore its preserved memories – with your help.
On Saturday 21 June 2025 – the summer solstice – Yan will launch the project and host the first memory-collecting event at RHS Garden Bridgewater.
Yan will be in conversation with Josh Corbett, Bridgewater’s arboriculture team manager and self-proclaimed tree enthusiast. They will discuss their respective roles as artist and arborist and focus on how to look after woodlands for the future.
Yan will then present the star of the show, the sweet chestnut, before explaining her idea behind the Memory Keepers project. Anyone who wishes to take part will join a raffle, where each person will be randomly assigned a year between 1720 and 2020.
If you would like to join Yan’s project and become a ‘Memory Keeper’ you will be invited to write a short story (5-10 sentences) inspired by your given year. It does not need to be connected to the tree and can be about any historical event that happened that year, anywhere in the world.
For inspiration you will go home with a beautifully designed folder containing a blank sheet alongside Yan’s photos of the tree and 19th century images too. You can then submit your short story in a stamped addressed envelope addressed to Salford Museum and Art Gallery.
We will gather stories over the next six months, and our Memory Keepers’ stories will eventually form a collaborative artwork celebrating the enduring presence of our sweet chestnut tree.
This will be exhibited at Salford Museum and Art Gallery in 2026/7. Memory Keepers is both a talk and a participatory event. Submitting a story is entirely optional.
OFFSHOOT Artist in Residence programme is a collaboration between University of Salford Art Collection, RHS Garden Bridgewater and Open Eye Gallery Liverpool and is generously supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
The Graduate Scholarship Programme (GSP) is a support scheme open to BA and MA students from the School of Art, Media and Creative Technology, who graduate in 2025
The programme aims to support you to develop a career as an artist / creative practitioner
The main programme runs for 12 months; with mentoring taking place for up to a further 6-8 months.
There are a maximum of 5-6 places which will be awarded through an application and interview
Applications open on 24th March 2025
The deadline is 9am on Monday 28th April 2025
There is no charge to take part in the scheme
About the Programme:
Run by University of Salford Art Collection with Castlefield Gallery, and in collaboration with our professional partners, the Graduate Scholarship Programme was established in 2014 to support artists in the crucial first year and the initial period after graduation. The programme runs for up to 18 months and grants graduates time, resources and the opportunity to develop their practice and shape their future careers within a supportive framework.
We want to encourage artists to remain in Salford and to develop their professional practice within the artist community in the city: the programme is a unique opportunity to further develop professional skills and gain vital industry experience and relationships with benefits lasting beyond the programme.
About the Scholarship:
Scholarship packages are tailored, but can include:
Professional development and advice including coaching, career, practice and professional development sessions, 1-2-1 advisory sessions, studio group crit days, and mentoring
£1000 bursary towards time and expenses to engage with the programme, which may include e.g. materials and travel
Studio space and studio support for 12 months, based at studios including Paradise Works, Hot Bed Press, Islington Mill and Castlefield Gallery New Art Spaces
Research trips regionally and nationally, sometimes including overnight stays and networking
Opportunity to have artwork acquired (via gift) into the University’s permanent Art Collection as a legacy of the programme
In 2024/25, we awarded five places on the scheme, with studio spaces including Islington Mill, Paradise Works and Hot Bed Press. The programme evolves each year as we endeavour to offer opportunities to the graduates we think we can best support. Over 50 graduates have benefitted from the scheme so far.
Click each header below to read more information:
>Eligibility
Eligibility:
The programme is open to University of Salford final year undergraduates from the School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology (who are due to graduate or complete their studies in July 2025) – plus there will be a maximum of one scholarship open to an MA graduate (due to graduate or complete in September 2025). Applicants who will be undertaking further study at the time of the scholarship (e.g. starting an MA in 2025) will not be eligible. Previous scholars will not be eligible.
The programme takes place in Salford and Greater Manchester (as well as UK research trips and some online sessions) and applicants must be able to attend. Further information and guidelines are available below.
>Accessibility
Accessibility:
We aim to remove barriers, bias or discrimination that prevents individuals or groups from realising their potential, and to develop organisational cultures that positively value diversity. If you have access needs and wish to discuss these in relation to the application and interview stage, or the opportunity more broadly, please contact: artcollection@salford.ac.uk
We are committed to equal opportunities and will work with the successful selected applicants to support access requirements through reasonable adjustments during the programme. Where disclosures are made and access needs are identified, this will be discussed in more detail with selected candidates after interview stage.
>Care and Consideration
Care and Consideration:
Please note, we approach the delivery of the programme with the aim of enacting care and consideration for all involved. To this end we operate a zero tolerance policy towards hostile, disrespectful or abusive behaviour towards staff, volunteers, partners and others, in all communications.
How to apply:
Open for applications: from Monday 24th March 2025 Application deadline: by 9am Monday 28th April 2025 Shortlisted applicants: will be interviewed in person on Monday 12th May 2025 Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.
1) Please read the guidance on this page, and in the guidance form (below) 2) Download and complete your application form (below) 3) Prepare an up to date CV (maximum 2 pages) 4) Prepare up to four examples of your work (image, video or audio) as an attachment or weblink 5) Email your form, cv, and examples to: S.A.Parker@salford.ac.uk with the subject line “GSP Application”
All information and guidance, including accepted formats and eligibility, is on this page and in the guidance form download. For any further enquiries, please email: artcollection@salford.ac.uk
Find out more:
In 2024 we awarded five places on the scheme, with studio spaces including Islington Mill, Paradise Works Hot Bed Press, and Castlefield Gallery New Art Spaces. The programme evolves each year as we endeavour to offer opportunities to the graduates we think we can best support. Over 50 graduates have benefitted from the scheme so far. In 2024 we celebrated 10 years of the scheme with our exhibition and programme CATALYST.
Install shot from Between the Earth and the Sky Courtesy of Sam Parker
As a part of Between the Earth and the Sky our team assistant Sam Parker conducted a Q&A session with artist Alex Nelu to better understand his practice and thought process. As part of Arts Council England’s Developing Your Creative Practice grant, Nelu has continued to explore how to make a photographic practice more sustainable in multiple ways; like using photographing digitally rather than using harmful chemicals in a darkroom. Alongside this Nelu shares more information about his background and influences as an artist.
Starting off with a simple one; what equipment do you use? Be it cameras, scanners, other pieces of kit – what’s your go-to equipment bag got inside it?
“I prefer equipment that is lightweight and intuitive, something I can carry comfortably on long walks without it becoming a burden. Cameras are overloaded with menus and settings these days and I don’t enjoy wasting time when I’m out and about. Photography for me is about being present in the landscape, not buried in a screen.
For ‘the wind was blowing as I was walking on marshy ground’, I bought a second hand digital medium format camera which allowed me to capture the detail and depth I was after. The images were printed digitally on a bamboo-based paper, then presented in frames borrowed from the Art Collection, as part of ongoing efforts to test more sustainable approaches in my practice.
In the past I loved working using basic film cameras, either point-and-shoot or SLRs. I prefer to stay clear from any AI features and try to avoid getting lost in technical specs as that often feels very disconnected from the actual act of making images.”
Nelu’s camera in-situ. Courtesy of the artist
I know you’re accustomed to all sorts of processes and methods of producing imagery, so when it comes to Analogue or Digital media, which do you prefer?
“I love analogue photography and worked mostly on film for over a decade. But last year I challenged myself to try a digital workflow, purely because analogue seemed quite unsustainable, especially from my perspective as someone who was working mostly in colour. From the silver and gelatine in the film to the chemistry used in darkroom processing, there’s an obvious environmental impact there. That said, I’m also learning more about the hidden impact of digital, from the mining of rare metals for cameras to the energy-intensive nature of post-production workflows or cloud storage. Neither medium is better than the other in this regard as both come with their own issues, so I am keen to look into this more.
I do miss shooting film, and I’m not ready to part with it forever, that’s for sure. Many artists and creative researchers are actively working on ways to reduce the environmental impact of analogue practice, and I’m keen to see where that leads.”
Alex Nelu the wind was blowing as I was walking on marshy ground (2024) Archival pigment prints on Hahnemühle Bamboo paper
You’re images are always really well put together visually and lead the viewer to think more about the content within the work. How do you approach composition and storytelling within your photographs?
“Stephen Shore suggested that composition is about rearranging the three-dimensional world so it becomes interesting in two dimensions, and I relate to that. Photographic composition can be like solving an equation with multiple variables, and the challenge is to find a balance in the frame; but unlike maths the answer can be very subjective.
When I started studying photography 16 years ago, we had a module on cinema that introduced me to great films. As a teenager, cinematography certainly had a massive impact on me. Films like Paris, Texas, Meek’s Cutoff, and Red Desert still draw me back just for their visuals. I think it’s very important to train your eye by engaging with strong visual references early on and to work on developing an instinct for what makes an image compelling.
As for storytelling in photography, it’s quite different from cinema. You don’t have the same means to guide a narrative, so you work with much less, but to me that’s the beauty of it. Photobooks and exhibitions can function a bit more like films as the artist imposes a sequence, but photography is more suggestive. I love that it leaves space for interpretation to the viewer. I hope my work might allow others to bring their own emotions or experiences into it.
What I’m showing in ‘Between the Earth and the Sky’ is very personal, and it was a bit of a struggle to build the confidence to present it in this shape. Stephanie Fletcher’s input, the curator of the show, made a great difference as they were very supportive from the beginning, and I’m delighted that it’s out there like this.”
As artists we know that unexpected things pop up during the creative process – are there any technical challenges that you frequently face? And how do you overcome them?
“Of course, don’t we all! I sometimes end up on obscure, niche photographic forums trying to solve a problem, but I’ve learned to embrace the challenges rather than search for answers. They can become part of the work itself, whether it’s issues with equipment or process. I rarely set off with a rigid plan or chasing a specific, expected result; that sounds pretty boring to me so I will leave plenty of room for accidents to shape the work.”
Following that then, how big of a role is experimentation in your practice?
Close-up of Alex Nelu’s ‘the wind was blowing as I was walking on marshy ground‘ (2024) Courtesy of Sam Parker
“I guess experimentation sometimes starts with the technical challenges I mentioned above. Often an unexpected accident can open a new path. I like making beautiful images but I’m not really interested in chasing perfection. I’d rather accept and respond to what happens along the way and I believe somehow this approach also ties into finding a more sustainable balance.
Instead of discarding or spending time forcing something, I am actively trying to work with what I have, adapting or rethinking methods, which might reduce waste or energy use. Whether it’s testing techniques or materials, reconsidering workflows, or even letting limitations guide choices, experimentation is fundamental in photographic practice.”
Through this continuous development that you infuse into your practice, how do you think your style has changed over time?
“This work I show in ‘Between the Earth and the Sky’ marks a bit of a jump both visually and thematically from what I’ve done before. Moving to a more rural setting four years ago has inevitably shaped my practice. I spent a lot of time mapping the area, researching its history, figuring out what resonated with me, and eventually learning to embrace its bleakness throughout the year. Alongside that, personal things that were happening my life last year inherently translated in the work, making it more introspective. Walking, observing, and photographing have become more than just a part of my creative process; it was clear that they were also go-to coping mechanisms, ways of working through difficult emotions. Without wanting to say much more, ‘the wind was blowing as I was walking on marshy ground’ is in many ways the product of all the above. The opportunity to exhibit came at the right moment, giving me a chance to pause, take a breath, reflect and reset.
Us photographers can be incredibly stubborn; we resist change, we like to hold on to what feels safe. Staying open to new ways of working and challenging ourselves is essential. I’ve been fortunate to have people around me who taught me to accept that, I very much welcome it nowadays.”
Walking route in which Nelu took some of the images seen in ‘Between the Earth and the Sky‘ Courtesy of the artist.
As artists we’re always trying to improve our practices and how we do things – do you ever seek feedback on your work? And if so, how do you incorporate this feedback going forward?
“Even though I graduated 13 years ago, I still find showing my work in progress daunting. I’ve always been a quiet, shy person, which is why I picked up photography in the first place. It gave me a way to express things without having to explain them. That fear of not being able to articulate what I’m up to is still there and perhaps will always be, but I know how important it is to seek and accept feedback. You can probably work in isolation and make brilliant art, but I feel that sharing it with peers you trust will most likely at least help you get there faster, if not elevate it.
At the moment, I’m working with a few people as part of an Arts Council England Develop Your Creative Practice grant, so I’m slowly getting more comfortable with sharing work in progress and taking feedback on board. But even now, I still get a lump in my throat when it comes to it. That said, it’s been incredibly useful, and I am embracing it more. It’s quite funny because I am never one to shy away from giving feedback when asked.”
Many struggle with getting into the flow of making work as well as talking to others about it – do you have any tips or routines to get into a creative mindset?
A still from a brief video on one of Nelu’s walks.
Courtesy the artist.
“For me, it usually involves walking, browsing photobooks, even looking at old maps. These are the main things that allow my mind to wander. I also find that watching artist talks can be really inspiring. Even better when things don’t happen on a screen.
I also make notes whenever an idea comes up, and I often revisit them, writing them down properly to see if they’re worth pursuing. In my experience, even the smallest snippet can grow into something.
Ultimately, I’d say the key is to find a productive space or workflow where you can focus on your ideas and see what works for you.”
Speaking on creative process – which part of your creative process is your favourite?
“I enjoy being out, that’s the best part for me, and I feel lucky that’s one of the main components of my creative process. For me and many others, photography is about being outside, walking, observing, and responding to a place even in questionable weather.
My least favourite is being in front of a computer but that’s still necessary unfortunately, even though I am seeking new ways to streamline and shorten that, both for my own sanity and to use less energy.”
Your Practice
Close-up shot of Alex Nelu’s ‘the wind was blowing as I was walking on marshy ground‘ (2024) Courtesy of Sam Parker.
We’ve mentioned sustainability a few times already, but how big of a role is sustainability in your practice? And how have you implemented it?
“I’ll admit, I didn’t think much about sustainability until a few years ago when Lizzie King and Gwen Riley Jones ran an amazing programme of workshops and talks at Salford called ‘Sustaining Photography’, supported by the Art Collection and the Sustainability Team. I was already mindful of some things such as trying to produce less waste or buying second-hand equipment, but it made me realise the broader environmental impact of photography. It was a good wake up call.
Right now, I’m testing new approaches as part of a year-long grant on developing a more sustainable photographic practice. I have a sustainability statement on my website outlining the steps I’m currently taking, which I update as I learn more. I believe in being transparent about any positive changes I make, so others can apply or challenge them. Small adjustments across a wider community can add up to a significant positive impact, especially nowadays when we became so desensitized to snapping images on our phones without giving too much consideration to what happens to them afterwards.
Hopefully, I’ll find a carbon-neutral way to publish and distribute my findings next year, but for now, I’m happy to learn more and open conversations, especially in my front facing role at Salford as a Creative Technical Demonstrator. Even if the students might find it annoying sometimes, hopefully, it plants a seed.
Alongside Lizzie King and other academics, I am one of the founding members of the Sustainable Arts Practice Research Group (SAP) in SAMCT, so I actively contribute to interdisciplinary discussions and initiatives aimed at integrating eco-friendly practices within art and design curriculum. Our focus is on reducing environmental impact, promoting sustainability in artistic production, and fostering a culture of ecological responsibility within the academic and creative community.”
Working in this more sustainability focused way, have there been any big shocks in the way you’ve had to change your methods and processes?
“Well, stopping film photography for a bit was painful. At first, I overcompensated by taking too many pictures, something us photographers are guilty of, chasing that fear of missing out. But I started to feel guilty very quickly and finding that balance was so important.
I also had to change the software I was very familiar with, to move away from saving unnecessary duplicates of the same image. Old habits die hard, so it’s been a challenge, but I feel like I’m getting there. Making sustainable choices isn’t always easy, but simple things will make a difference.”
Image from Alex Nelu’s previous commercial photography career. Răzvan Mazilu – Theatre Director/Choreographer/Performer Client – C4US Magazine Courtesy of the artist.
Aside from sustainability, do you think your personal identity or background influences your work? If so, how?
“Everything I put out there is shaped by who I am, where I come from, and where I find myself now. Even though I’m now British, I still feel more Romanian as I lived there far longer than I’ve lived here. That immigrant identity remains a big part of me. It’s probably why nostalgia runs through my work. Perhaps photography for me is a way of processing that sort of emotion, the longing for a place, time or feeling. I often find myself looking for traces of familiarity in an unfamiliar landscape and it’s something I’m drawn to involuntarily. In that way, I think my identity is always present in my work, even if it’s not too explicit.
In my previous life as I often call the time before moving to the UK, I worked as a freelance photographer and a studio assistant, both fast-paced roles that equipped me with some resilience and gave me a strong technical foundation. Commercial work wasn’t always enjoyable, especially with the pressure you feel when you’re doing it in your early twenties. But looking back I’m very grateful for the experience and it equipped me with incredible skills that continue to inform my practice today, that’s for sure.”
Are there any other artists, practitioners, or themes that inspire and influence your practice?
“I was taught by Nicu Ilfoveanu during my BA, whose work is very influential to many Romanian landscape photographers, myself included. When I first moved to the UK, I was fortunate to meet Lizzie King and Craig Tattersall, both incredibly creative and prolific artists.
Since my work is rooted in exploring landscape, its historical context, and how we perceive it, Patrick Keiller has been a significant influence. His Robinson films and The View from the Train, which I read just before the pandemic, influenced my perspective on the intersections of geography, history and narrative.
I find that the outdoor environment itself can help map an emotional landscape. The West Pennine Moors have amazing colours in every season, and even at their bleakest moments, I find it hard not to enjoy being there. The themes I’ve been approaching for this are very personal: dealing with solitude, displacement and adapting to an unfamiliar place, but in a way the work is perhaps about embracing these emotions. By visiting spaces that hold past histories of their own such as disused quarries, reservoirs or the path that was once a Roman road, I contemplate and confront my own journey of relocation and adaptation. There’s just something about walking up there and facing the darkness head-on, like a ritual that becomes part of the work itself.”
How do you start a new project? Is there an extensive plan or do you just begin and roll with what comes?
Close-up shot of Alex Nelu’s ‘the wind was blowing as I was walking on marshy ground’ (2024) Courtesy of Sam Parker.
“I wouldn’t say I start with an extensive plan. If anything, the structure usually takes shape after I’ve already started. My projects usually evolve from something I’m already doing, whether that’s walking, researching, or just following a feeling that something is worth exploring further. If ideas linger in my mind, I try to pursue them and see where that takes me.
This project grew out of the time I spent on the moors after moving here in 2021. It was still very much a pandemic, and I think we all became more aware of how much we rely on being outside when we had to stay in. For me personally, that shift was quite significant, not just in terms of appreciating the landscape but in understanding how being out there affected me emotionally. I started observing, mapping and photographing, and that slowly morphed into a project rather than something I deliberately set out to make.”
Are there any dream projects or collaborations you’d love to pursue in future?
“I’d love to work with other people who have a deep connection to landscape, whether that’s artists, writers, researchers or the local community. I’m particularly interested in long-term projects that allow for a slow, considered engagement with a place-based subject and multiple angles and contributions would only enrich the work. I think I would also enjoy being an artist in residence somewhere with a layered history, I love sites that invites exploration and reinterpretation, whether natural or man-made. Hopefully, I can also find sustainable ways to engage with the communities that inhabit it and make a positive contribution.”
Thinking about the future – how do you see your work evolving in the next few years?
“While my work is deeply personal, I’m interested in expanding my engagement with others through collaborations, residencies, or conversations that bring new perspectives into my process. I can also see my practice becoming more research-driven, perhaps incorporating more data, either historical or scientific while still being quite personal. I imagine my work will continue to explore similar themes, but I hope to find ways to refine my approach, both in terms of sustainability and how I communicate these ideas visually.”
Close-up shot of Alex Nelu’s ‘the wind was blowing as I was walking on marshy ground‘ (2024) Courtesy of Sam Parker.
Plenty of students and other early career artists all want to know how artists they look up to would advise on beginning a career – so, what advice would you give to someone starting out in your field?
“Keep taking pictures every day, it’s the best way to improve. Go see art and artist talks as often as you can. Watch good films. If you’re a student, spend time in the library’s photobook section; if not, visit a bookshop or the local library. Don’t get caught up chasing the best equipment, you don’t need it. Find something that works for you and focus on making work, not collecting gear. It can be a difficult, competitive field so please remember to pause sometimes, take a breath, and remind yourself why you’re doing it. Your work should make you happy and bring you fulfilment, don’t try to please others and don’t let them dictate what your photography should look like or be about. And please try to be mindful about the environmental impact of your work and see if there’s any changes you can make as there might be plenty of actions you can take without compromising your artistic vision or process.”
And finally, the big one – do you think art, and by extension photography, has a specific role in shaping society?
“100%. Photography is such a powerful medium and I believe that studying photography is important, not just for the technical skills but as a way to understand its historical and political impact. While photojournalism can be the most obvious example, documentary and conceptual photography have also been instrumental in questioning structures of power and shifting cultural perspectives. Socially engaged photography is another crucial area where the medium can have a direct impact on communities. Projects that involve collaboration with participants rather than just documentation can empower individuals and challenge narratives.”
Installation shot of Alex Nelu’s ‘the wind was blowing as I was walking on marshy ground‘ (2024) Courtesy of Sam Parker
Alex Nelu the wind was blowing as I was walking on marshy ground (2024) Archival pigment prints on Hahnemühle Bamboo paper
Nelu is a Romanian photographic artist based in Lancashire, a Creative Technical Demonstrator at the University of Salford and a graduate in MA Contemporary Fine Art (2017). His practice lies at the intersection of documentary and fiction, using walking and image-making to map both physical and emotional landscapes.
These works are rooted in Nelu’s experience as an immigrant navigating the bleak and often isolating landscapes of the West Pennine Moors. Drawn to ancient infrastructure such as Roman roads or footpaths, as well as Victorian relics that have since blended into the natural environment (mine shafts, quarries, spoil heaps) he photographs the land in an idyllic, painterly style as a metaphor for his own sense of dislocation and projected resilience.
Central to this project is an ongoing exploration of sustainable photographic practices, carefully considering planning, image-making, post-production, and presentation, grounded in a commitment to photographing locally and leaving no trace, as part of an Arts Council England Developing Your Creative Practice grant.
The images above are close-up stills of Nelu’s work.
The image above is an install shot from the exhibition.
The University of Salford Art Collection (UOSAC) works on a range of events and exhibitions, often in collaboration with artists and other organisations. Our programme regularly covers themes of environment, nature, sustainability and climate change, creating spaces where people can come together, connect with ideas and research around our natural world, and explore some of the most urgent issues of our time.
We are committed to putting sustainability into practice, remaining accountable and informed, and encouraging our collaborators to do the same. This includes making responsible choices in our personal lives. We recognise that individual and organisational commitments should be appropriate, scalable and achievable within time and resources; and should not impact accessibility, safe working, or archival standards of care and preservation.
Join curator Stephanie Fletcher for an informal tour of Between the Earth and the Sky on Tuesday, 11th March 2025.
Join curator Stephanie Fletcher for a calming and informal gallery tour of Between the Earth and the Sky, a new exhibition of nature-inspired artwork at the New Adelphi Exhibition Gallery.
Step into the in-between spaces of nature in Between the Earth and the Sky, a stunning exhibition of contemporary printmaking, photography, and video. Featuring works by Christiane Baumgartner, Darren Almond, Jessica El Mal, and Liang Yue, the exhibition explores fleeting moments of transformation in the natural world—from fading sunsets to the first touch of rainfall after a drought.
Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to connect with the environment through creativity. See you there!
This tour is also part of Go Green Salford– the University of Salford’s Festival of Sustainability from 10-22 March.
Free to attend – Booking is not required, however if you’d like to register and receive an event / calendar reminder, click the link to ‘Reserve a Spot’!
Peter Green OBE RE (1933-2023) was a British printmaker and educator. His work largely explored British landscapes – from the former coal mines and quarries in Wales, to derelict farms and coastal scenes; through an increasingly abstract visual style.
Time spent travelling and teaching printmaking around the world influenced his practice – from traditional stencil printing in Japan, to modernism in Europe and the legacy of the Bahaus movement. Many of his works were not derived from preliminary drawings but emerged through the making process, with works such as Sea Solar Blue evoking colours, textures and rhythms found in nature.
He was elected to the Royal Society of Printmakers in 1959, and awarded an OBE for Services to Art and Art Education in 1988. His work is held in numerous collections including the V&A, London and the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff.
The images above are close-up stills of Green’s work.
The images above are install shots from the exhibition.
Phil Greenwood White Sky (1977) Etching and Aquatint
Greenwoods’ vast body of printmaking focuses on landscapes, depicting lakes, parkland, woodland and coasts. Though they might appear to be familiar scenes, they are mostly recalled from memory – amalgamating elements and ideas from a variety of places. Often only a few colours of ink (sometimes only two or three) and plates are used, expertly combined in layers to create a range of tonal qualities. The resulting images have an atmospheric and dream-like quality, often capturing qualities of light and shadow and times of transition such as dawn, dusk, or a change in weather.
Greenwood was born in North Wales, studied at Harrow and Hornsey College of Art in London, and eventually settled in Kent. He became a full-time artist in 1971, pursuing both commercial and fine art practices, with works in public and private collections including the Arts Council and British Council.
The images above are close-up stills of Greenwood’s work.
The images above are install shots from the exhibition.
Halifax-born Derek Wilkinson (1929-2001) was an artist and teacher, working in painting, drawing and printmaking. His work largely captured rural and urban landscapes across the North, from Greater Manchester, to the Pennines, to the Lakes; using muted colour palettes and careful compositions. This work captures a winter’s day at Rydal, in Cumbria.
Wilkinson studied at Blackpool School of Art (1946-50), at Manchester’s Regional College of Art (1951-53); and taught at Stockport College from 1958. He has exhibited widely across the North as well as in London, and has works held in the collections of Manchester Art Gallery, Salford Museum & Art Gallery, and Stockport Heritage Services.
The images above are close-up stills of Wilkinson’s work
In November 2024 we attended the Green Impact awards – and thanks to the dedication of our team we secured a Platinum award (and accompanying Welsh Slate trophy) for the third year in a row! Alongside this we also won the award for Innovation for Engagement.
Sam and Steph from the Art Collection team receiving the Platinum Award
UoS Art Collection team’s awards at Green Impact 2024
The Awards covered both our day-to-day work, with improvements made around sustainable materials, packaging, practices and sourcing, as well as our thematic programming including our Energy House residencies and Hybrid Futures exhibition and symposium.
Our case study for the engagement award was based around The Conductor – a performance that took place during Sounds From The Other City by artist in residence Mishka Henner. This performance allowed the collection and the artist to talk about our artist residency program at Energy House 2.0, the climate research that Henner was using as basis for his project, and allowed the Acoustics facilities to have a different audience than would otherwise be possible. This day was fully booked up, and encouraged many to see art and climate in a different light, whilst also learning about science and the lesser known courses offered at the university.
Audience watching The Conductor by Mishka Henner, 2024. Photography by Sam Parker.
We look forward to striving for Platinum for our 4th Year in a row and we encourage your team to join the Green Impact Project too! If you don’t have a team, join one – or just live your life as best you can and as green as you can!
