Smardale Gill

Jill Brown

Smardale Gill – Jill Brown

12 August 2022 – 30 October 2022

Smardale Gill and its railway viaduct in Cumbria are inextricably linked to my family history. It is now impossible to imagine the rumble of train through this wild landscape, but my installation explores this history referencing archival text (1860-1900) as a narrative. Using photographs taken whilst walking the old rail line across the four seasons, I have through sublimation printing transferred image and text to translucent voile sheets. These voile images were subsequently taken back to their home in Smardale Gill and photographed coming alive in the never ending breeze in the valley.

Smardale Gill – Jill Brown

Viaduct Voile – Jill Brown

Smardale Gill – Jill Brown

Platelayers Cottages – Jill Brown

All photographs for this installation were taken by myself, walking the rail line through the seasons. The images were then merged with the appropriate archival text and through the heat sublimation process (190 degC) transferred to the translucent voile material. The final images here do not do the work justice, as they come alive in the landscape and in the light.

I am inspired by the rugged Cumbrian landscape where I grew up, as well as the local Cheshire countryside where I now live. The colours, textures, and history of these landscapes provide a rich tapestry that I reference in my mixed media pieces.

Always using photography as the foundation for my work, I enjoy experimenting with different surfaces and media. My method of working often involves locational or historical research, and a strong personal connection to a sense of place underpins my practice and conveys a narrative. The research is often as important as the final artwork itself.

About Jill Brown

Photography is the foundation for all my work, whether  inspired by the rugged Cumbrian landscape where I grew up or my local Cheshire countryside . The colours, textures and history of these landscapes provide the rich tapestry that I reference in my mixed media work.
Experimenting with surfaces, materials and media can often dictate the final art outcome. There is even joy in those happy accidents. My method of working regularly involves locational or historical research together with a strong personal connection to a sense of place which helps underpin my work in order to convey a narrative. The research is often as important as the final artwork itself.
I am is also fascinated with abandoned objects and their structural form, and the influence of these items can also be seen in the art I produce.

https://www.jillbrownart.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/jill_brown_art/