Suzie Devey: Positive Space

Suzie Devey is a printmaker and her practice responds to her local surroundings of the North York Moors National Park. She works primarily in linocut but also enjoys experimenting and mixing up printmaking techniques. She often works collaboratively and this has inspired her latest project, Positive Space, which evolved out of the challenges faced by artists due to the pandemic.

"When Covid-19 began to take hold in the UK, galleries closed, festivals and events were cancelled and work for artists disappeared, along with their incomes for the forseeable future. Fear of the virus and isolation caused many artists to struggle to find their creativity. I had to do something, so I created Positive Space. A place where artists could find wellbeing through nature and discover new ways to combat social isolation by collaborating and making art in a way that bridged the virtual realms to the real world.

While walking in the wood, I noticed fallen and cut tree trunks, and as a printmaker I saw these as surfaces to ink and print. An idea emerged to combine these printed surfaces with linocuts created by other artists, inspired by nature. I had discovered a way to bring artists together, to entice them into nature and re-kindle their creativity in the face of Covid-19. I created Positive Space to encourage wellbeing for artists, their families, friends and anyone who sees the work they create. Anyone who wanders in a woodland and takes notice of how their senses are responding is bound to feel good. When you take in the sounds, smells, textures, you absorb the very essence of the place. It becomes a place to relax, play, or find inspiration.

Bringing artists together tackled the deeper issues of social isolation. Many artists are used to working alone and enjoy solitude, but they thrive by being part of a community. Covid-19 threatened the existence of that community as closed and cancelled signs appeared on every event, festival and local art project. But, at Positive Space, it has become possible for artists to discover new ways to rebuild their artist communities.  Despite lockdown and social isolation, every artist has created work in collaboration with each other.

Each linocut made by the artists is inspired by nature, but also by a shape that has been emailed to them. When completed the shaped linocuts are posted to me. I put the shapes back together, like a jigsaw and print on the log backgrounds, so every work of art is produced by many artists. The financial impact of Covid-19 meant that income disappeared overnight for artists, so we create each piece as a limited edition and are offering them for sale via our website. As the art sells, artists are receiving income, where there was none before. Positive Space came about because of a worldwide pandemic, but we fully intend to continue collaborating in this new way, as a benefit to our health and a way to create work long after Covid-19 has disappeared."

You can find our more about the Positive Space project or purchase the prints on their website. 

CuratorSpace are currently featuring articles by artists, curators and organisations who want to share their experiences of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, whether that is artists using their practice as a way of exploring new boundaries of isolation, or as a way to connect more broadly with their communities. We are also interested in hearing from curators and organisations who are offering support to artists and audiences during this time.

Contact us at louise@curatorspace.com to share your story.
 

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