Louise Garman
Louise Garman is a multi-media artist based in Manchester utilising drawing, photography, sculpture, video and print. Central to her work is printmaking, and in particular screen print.
‘I contrast opposites like ugliness and beauty, life and death, black and white, harsh and tender. I create experimental multi-media images with the volume turned up to the max. My art deals with abandoned, stark and neglected secret places – the ageing Dungeness nuclear power station, the beautiful and brutal Saddleworth Moor, and the derelict side of Salford. Polluting post-apocalyptic dreams, nightmares and enchantment.’
Louise’s process incorporates wandering through ‘unwanted’ places alone, making drawings, taking photographs and collecting discarded, forgotten items.
‘I collate these items, and build uncompromising installations using the objects found on these solitary walks…bird’s nests, sleeping tablets, a child’s mitten, nitrous oxide canisters…And as I continue to work on these themes, I juxtapose them together, creating new displaced photographic images and silkscreens.
In the series ” Cars over Saddleworth Moor”, I have overdone the image, underdone the image, improvised, and layered the inks in translucent, bold colourways. I have strived to break free of the conventional by layering the prints using tracing paper.
It’s all about the journey, and each of my journeys has been documented. Initially, I believed that my practice was reflecting society, and our greed and non-caring attitude towards our environment. I then realised that my choice of subject was saying more about me as an artist through the process of observation and selection. Subconsciously, I have focused on life and death. And the earth turning round and round, in constant motion…’
