West Somerset artist Ann Farley has been appointed as artist in residence at The Engine Room, Bridgwater for Summer 2022. The residency is part of ‘Ignite Somerset’ a programme of work passing on digitals skills to artists, supported by Arts Council England and delivered by Somerset Film.
Visual artist Ann will be using the residency to develop her animation skills and will create a new environmental themed work about climate change. ‘The Man Who Mends Things’ will be exhibited during Somerset Art Weeks Festival 2022 at The Engine Room, a community media centre managed by Somerset Film.
The exhibition opens to the public on Saturday, September 24, and will be free to visit on weekdays between 10am and 4pm until Friday, October 7. Ann is best known for her paintings and drawings. She is also a maker of sculpture both abstract and figurative, gardens, jewellery, mosaics, tapestries and with her recently acquired tinsmithing skills made the local Roadwater village shop sign.
She has lived and worked in Somerset all her life, and sees herself first and foremost as a recorder of life, a storyteller, a farmer and a gardener.
She said: “I have personal experience of the impact of climate change on the natural environment here in Somerset. I have long wanted to make work on this theme but never been able to find the right medium. I believe that animation will be very powerful in this context as it is incredibly accessible and appeals across the age ranges.”
Somerset Film supported Ann to start her exploration of animation through a one-to-one support session. The organisation, which declared a climate emergency in 2019 and has committed to use its programme to raise awareness of the issue, said it was delighted to be able to continue to support Ann through the role of artist in residence.
Ann added: “I am completely thrilled to be given this opportunity by Somerset Film through the Ignite Somerset programme to take my work into a digital format. Although I have only come to animation very recently and am way outside my comfort zone, I have, thus far, made three tiny experimental and rather clumsy films. This progression into animation feels like a completely inevitable step in my artistic practice as storyteller and maker.”
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