Lorna Carmen McNeill
Arts Medicine Lab
UNLOCKING LOCKDOWN & LOCKDOWN IMMERSION - See below
On 23rd March 2020, the government instructed the nation to go into lockdown to limit the spread of the Corona Virus pandemic which was reportedly taking lives at an alarming rate. We were told to Stay at Home, only go out for essential shopping, infrequently or for exercise only once a day, and to work at home if at all possible. Social distancing meant we had to stay 2 metres away from anyone else and anyone who violated this was at risk of being fined by the police. No travel was allowed other than for the essentials above. Shops, workplaces and all going concerns were closed down and it became almost impossible to enter or leave the UK. It was unclear whether there was enough food to feed everyone and it was almost impossible to book home food delivery as this had been booked up for weeks ahead, and priority was rightly reserved for front line NHS workers and those deemed to be at high medical risk of catching the virus. (Click for MORE INFORMATION about the artwork)
MATERIALS: Acrylic, watercolour, ink, bleach, photographs, collage on watercolour paper 70 x 50 cm
LOCKDOWN IMMERSION - in search of calm
These paintings were produced as part of a contemplative practice during the restrictions of lockdown, using fluid acrylics to connect progressively to a sense of calm. The process involved submerging watercolour paper in water, mixing up a range of colours in acrylic and then pouring these at different speeds onto the paper to enable a fluid way forwards towards calm from constraint to emerge and guide. Each painting developed and layered on the previous ones whilst a new pathway emerged.
MATERIALS: Acrylics, watercolour, sizes of each one - variable