Page 25 - ALG Issue 4 2017

Artist Corner...
Re: Allotted at Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal
The Slug Society’s latest exhibition “Re:Allotted” was held in Kendal during August. An exhibition of ceramics, installations, paintings, photos, prints, sculpture, textiles and texts inspired by allotments, lled the Sugar Store Gallery at the Brewery Arts Centre, throughout the month. I’d like to think the work on display highlighted the central importance that both art and allotments have in my own and other members’ lives.
As the Slug Society’s Secretary and having had a plot for over 30 years, I wrote in my introductory notes; “All my work in this exhibition has been inspired by the things I’ve seen as I’ve worked my plot and walked through the allotment site”.
The Slug Society grew from a small team of artists who in 2015 helped the North West Counties Allotments Association stage an art exhibit on its stand at the Southport Flower Show. In August 2016 we staged our rst exhibition at the Neogallery in Bolton’s Market Place, followed in January/February 2017 with a smaller exhibition at Bolton’s St George’s Gallery.
The Society currently consists of 10 artists and three writers; Carol Barlow – stained glass, Janet Brady – visual arts, Dorothy Ellin – visual arts and ceramics, Jennifer Gilmour – textile artist, Maggie Hargeaves
– visual arts and installation, Margaret Jackson – visual arts and allotment archivist, Rob Jackson – graphic arts, Kevin Shipley
– photographer, Steph Shipley – visual arts, prints and video installation, Susan Syddall
– textile artist and prints, Ros Davis – writer and novelist, Robert Eldon – poet and writer, David Jackson – writer and poet.
The visual arts tend to be the high-pro le part of our exhibitions and all our artists were represented at Kendal. We’ve illustrated this piece with a few examples and you can see many others at http://allotted2016.blogspot. co.uk (which features a short tour of the Kendal exhibits) or at www.neoartists.co.uk.
However, two of our writers were also represented at Kendal.
Ros Davis, a published novelist and
By Rob Jackson from “Gates of Eden” – “I never thought he’d actually serve a notice to quit” (With apologies to Emile Nolde)
author of ‘Chani’s Karmic Collision’, created ‘PLOTTED’, a kind of ‘soap opera’ about three women’s lives on ‘the allotments’ based on conversations the author had with plotholders on Bolton allotment sites. “Plotted” was presented as small, complete pages set in clear acrylic stands set out around the exhibition areas. For those who wanted their own copies of the pages,
a “Plotted” book-folder was available to purchase at the gallery.
David Jackson drew on thirty years as an unpaid and unskilled minion on our allotment to create ‘Tales from the Plots’, containing two pieces; ‘Gates of Eden’ a modern morality tale, and ‘A Life in the Year’. David spent 15 years as a Site Treasurer and is currently Secretary of our local Federation. Although he still hasn’t a clue about plants and growing, he has thus acquired an in-depth knowledge of Council Procedures and Rules and Allotment Society politics.
‘A Life....’ describes the trials, tribulations and (very) occasional triumphs of the benighted souls who wind up serving on “the Committee” at the (very) ctional “Rivendell Avenue” allotment site. His work can be seen at http://emrystpress.blogspot.co.uk.
“Tales” is a collaboration with our elder
Winter Greenhouse – by Margaret Jackson
son, Rob Jackson, who did the illustrations, one of which we’ve included. Rob’s work is at http://robjacksoncomics.blogspot.co.uk.
I hope the above doesn’t make Re:Allotted sound like a family outing!
Kendal was the Society’s rst major foray outside the Bolton boundary. We’d like to repeat the experience and we’ve already had some contact with allotment folk in other parts of the country who are interested in inviting our group to exhibit in their areas
– so if anyone out there has an ‘exhibition’ space that we could ll, please get in touch: slugsoc2015@yahoo.co.uk
Margaret Jackson
– Secretary, the
Slug Society
Margaret Jackson
has had an
allotment for over
thirty years. She
was a Committee
member at Harpers
Lane Allotments,
Bolton for 15 years
- the last 10 as Site
Secretary. She retired from committee life (but still allotmenteering) at Christmas 2016.
“Allotments” – textile piece by Jennifer Gilmour
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