Spring Fling visitors are being invited to become part of the art by posing for a photographic project where dozens of individual portraits will be merged into a single spectacular image.
Kim Ayres, who specialises in narrative photography, is asking for volunteers to visit him at the Crichton, in Dumfries, during the annual open studios contemporary arts and craft weekend on 23 to 25 May.
His project, called Crowd, promises to be fun and full of surprises.
It will let people be heroes, heroines (or even villains) in their own mini epic – and have that become part of a much larger picture story.
Kim said: “I’m encouraging people to take part in the way they wish to. They can dress up in costume, put on a favourite hat, or just come as they are.
“People are welcome to bring something special along that they can hold for the picture – maybe a book they love, or an instrument they play.
“They can pose however they wish, standing on one leg, dancing, sitting, in a yoga position or anything else.
“And the whole idea of having people photographed one at a time is that when we merge the portraits into one image it’ll be a total surprise to see who is there, what they are doing and how they appear to be interacting with.
“They might find themselves next to a long-lost friend dressed as a cowboy, their next-door neighbour doing ballet or a total stranger playing the mandolin. It will be lots of fun.”
Although people will be pictured individually they will be asked to act as if they are reacting to something, or someone, in a full room.
Everyone who takes part will get a digital copy of the finished image – which they might then want to use to have printed on a mug or turned into a jigsaw.
Kim’s studio is at Kindar House, The Crichton, Bankend Road, Dumfries, and there will be plenty of other Spring Fling attractions for visitors to enjoy when they are there.
Ceramicists Lauren Gray and Christopher Taylor, both based at the Clay Works Studio, will be welcoming people in to meet them and see their work. Multi-media artist Kevin Alexander Reid will also be opening his studio in Kindar House.
Elsewhere in Dumfries there’s the chance to see furniture maker Nicholas Hobbs, who is in High Street, and painter Martin Clarkson in Irish Street.
This year Spring Fling (which is run by Upland CIC arts development organisation) features 111 artists and makers of every kind across Dumfries and Galloway.
Due to its scale there are six suggested colour-coded routes which visitors can take. They can also check out the different artists and makers online or look them up in the Spring Fling brochure.
- See the website at www.spring-fling.co.uk.
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Notes for editors
About Spring Fling
- The weekend is a chance to explore a beautiful rural region, with participating studios from Langholm in the east to Portpatrick and the Mull of Galloway in the west.
- Spring Fling visitors have the option of following a series of six colour-coded routes which take them round studios in different parts of the region.
- Bus tours are available, giving people the chance to let someone else do the driving – and reducing emissions.
- Standard opening times are 10am to 5.30pm, but many studios have special evening openings as well.
- Follow us on social media @spring_fling
About Upland
Vision
- Creating a sustainable, innovative and inclusive visual arts and crafts sector in Dumfries and Galloway.
Mission
- To provide leadership in the visual art and craft sector regionally, collaborating with the cultural sector across Dumfries and Galloway and beyond.
- To raise the profile of the visual art and craft sector of our rural area in a national and international context and build meaningful partnerships to support this.
- To listen to local visual artists and makers and respond by providing relevant support and act as a collective voice to advocate on their behalf.
- To support the engagement of a wide diversity of audiences in visual art and craft and initiate opportunities that promote inclusive, meaningful participation.
- To produce and facilitate ambitious creative projects that are innovative and experimental in approach.
Aims
- To produce and deliver festivals, events, and experimental projects of the highest quality that are rooted in place and far reaching in scope.
- To nurture the development of artistic excellence so that it thrives and grows
- To inspire and engage a diverse range of people to celebrate, participate in and be supportive of visual art and craft practice.
- To raise the profile of visual artists and makers locally, nationally and internationally fulfilling a crucial role in the culture, economy and tourism of Dumfries and Galloway.
- To actively work to reduce our impact on the climate and environment and embed positive climate action in our work.
Its funders are Creative Scotland, D&G Council, The Holywood Trust, ASWT, Barfill.
For media information contact Matthew Shelley on 07786 704299 or at Mjhshelley@hotmail.co.uk or call Upland on 01387 213 218.