Part 1: Navigating Silent Pathways

Alison Critchlow

As I sit down to write this blogpost I check through my phone notes– a fairly crazy selection of to-do lists, quotes, random thoughts, links to things I want to listen to/read, shopping lists etc. One of them, written in June, is titled ‘Albers swatches in a box’, it reads- ‘Masking tape, ruler, Bonnard, blue circles. Glazing, wax resist, thick palette knife bits, dry brush, scumbling, shadows...where to put reflective areas?’

Let me explain…

Earlier in the year, I was awarded a commission for the Workington Art Trail-a fabulous project which saw me working with members of Cumbria Deaf Association (CDA) to create a collaborative artwork, and then making a painting of my own in response to our first piece – both for public display at Workington library throughout the winter. My proposal was to create two large abstract paintings using colour theory and references from art history to engage with our subject – and when you want to explore colour theory in interesting ways, Josef Albers is your man! A German artist who taught at the Bauhaus (between 1923-33) he developed exciting techniques for teaching his students about colour through practical experiments, publishing their observations in a book titled ‘Interaction of Color’ in 1963 and we used some of these to start us off. Most of the exercises use cut out swatches to test how colours interact and see how different combinations work. Hence ‘Albers swatches in a box’.

Meeting the group

I started by going to meet Rebecca from CDA, to understand more about the deaf community and how we would set up our workshop sessions. I’ve never worked with British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters before- in fact, I realised, I didn’t know anyone who is deaf- so a lot to learn for me. I explained my ideas to Rebecca- she asked me what I meant by abstract- and already we were onto a super interesting conversation about painting as visual communication and the nature of visual languages. She explained how CDA is set up and gave me some really helpful deaf awareness info to read, inviting me to meet some of the group at their next coffee morning. We agreed this project would be a big learning curve for all of us!

A few weeks later I’m drinking coffee with some members of CDA, chatting with Jan – she’s been a professional dancer all her life- and we are into a fascinating conversation about rhythm and movement and pace and how these are all the same things you think about in a painting. It’s such an open minded, friendly group, I think we’re going to enjoy making this piece together.

Making the first painting

Our first session takes place in Workington library. I arrive early to unload big boxes of paint, brushes, books, dust sheets and the 6 panels which will become our painting...oh and a large windswept vase of flowers including a very bendy last minute foxglove. It is Midsummer’s day. Just as I start to shuffle in with the first two wooden panels (quite tall and heavy) a young man called Alan asks if I need a hand and I really do! He helps me unload everything and as I stack the flowers next to the big wiggly shapes and tall boards,

I am struck by how exciting it all looks- if a little crazy! The library is buzzing. Loud, warm, friendly; Cafe West is heaving- this place is the perfect venue for making and displaying our painting.

The process

We start off with a powerpoint presentation- looking at different ways of setting up visual rhythms in art. We look carefully at how paintings work- the speed, weight and direction of marks and how composition and focal points lead your eye around a picture. We think about the fact that most of what you see comes from your brain and not your eyes. Then we get stuck in -first with some colour experiments and mixing and then straight onto the panels using a selection of cut out shapes as stencils- some really long curving pieces, others smaller and more complex- shapes are repeated and echoed across the panels, they interweave and sometimes cross over until the bones of the painting appear.

Decisions and discussions

We start to make decisions about which bits we like, where we need more detail, or a subtle gradient. By the time we break for lunch conversation has turned to what all these shapes might represent and the idea that each one could mean different things to different people- that there is no ‘right or wrong’ way of looking at a painting.

Along the way we have really thought provoking discussions about inclusion and deafness- how complex and intertwined individual journeys with deafness can be and how easy it is for the deaf community to be overlooked. We agree that our painting could be used to increase deaf awareness in Workington as well as injecting a bit of summer fun into the winter months. One of the finishing touches is adding glow in the dark paint and reflective tape to some areas. Choosing luminous and reflective strips deliberately to suggest the visibility/invisibility of deaf people within the community. They are also for the fun of it- we like the idea that the painting should have a ‘night life’ as well as a daytime face – we are hoping the glow in the dark areas will dance in the dark!

The final painting is full of beans – it reflects the wonderful members of the deaf community who painted it...inclusive, friendly, open-minded, creative individuals with a wealth of knowledge and curiosity. Just as Rebecca predicted it has been a wonderful learning curve and I am very grateful to all the members of CDA, for their open minded enthusiasm and whole hearted engagement with the project. Big thanks are also due to the library for making us so welcome, Cumberland Council and Arts Council England, Workington Council, Anne Waggot Knott and all the other artists involved in making this such a special project.

Artistic References included; Alma Thomas; Outi Pieski; Paul Klee; Claude Monet; Winifred Nicholson; Josef Albers; Phoebe Unwin

The finished artwork

The artwork we made uses abstract shapes and colours to explore individual experiences of deafness. Look carefully and you will see all sorts of colour combinations and complex, interweaving pathways representing the many ways people navigate deafness in West Cumbria. It is a painting about how things feel rather than what they look like – noisy and vibrant, it brings a bit of summer fun into midwinter whilst amplifying and highlighting the all too often overlooked voices of the deaf community here in Workington. It was made by members of Cumbria Deaf Association with painter Alison Critchlow.

Read the second part of Alison’s blog here: Part 2: Exploring More Silent Pathways