Simon Ripley and Simon Ryder have been appointed as Associate Artists for a year long project funded by Arts Council England. Both artists will be working with patients and staff in a variety of different areas, they will start working in Derriford Hospital over the summer and our aim is for them to meet as many members of staff and patients as possible during their time with us. As an introduction to the project both artists they have provided some background information about themselves and some images of their artworks.
Simon Ripley
I am a printmaker and a large part of my artistic practice involves making large scale, mostly abstract, linocuts. I have a lot of experience teaching printmaking and currently am involved in a project at Wonford House Hospital in Exeter, I also regularly provide classes in schools and other community settings. I am a founding member and Director of Exeter's Double Elephant Print Workshop.
I am very excited to be joining Zest, and am looking forward to working in one or more of the clinical departments as I believe this will really help me to develop my own artistic practice. I am keen to broaden the way in which I create my work and bring in new methods of making. My artwork has always been influenced by the world I see around me and in particular by the sense of wellbeing that looking at art can bring. I am keen to make a direct link between understanding the work that goes on in hospital and the way in which I express that in my prints.
During my time at Derriford Hospital I will be running participatory workshops in printmaking and I will be investigating ways in which the hands-on experience of making art can have a role in the healing process. There will be an opportunity for art made by staff and patients to be displayed in the hospital. I am looking forward to meeting and working with as many of you as possible.
Simon Ryder
I have seven years of experience creating art in healthcare settings and have worked on a variety of artists commissions. I am continually developing my own practice and at the heart of this are collaborations with scientists and other healthcare professionals, based on an exchange of ideas and perceptions, which in turn informs my artwork. My natural interest in other people’s work and a desire to grasp the essence of what they do is a good foundation for genuine collaborative work.
I am thrilled to have this opportunity to work at Derriford over a year, as it will give me time to develop work that is truly relevant and integrated into the life of the hospital. My approach is to find links between the internal environment of the body and that of the natural world outside; and, of course, in the case of Derriford that includes Antarctica. I use techniques that are indigenous to the hospital, such as x-ray and scans, to make my work and to explore the clinical world of contemporary healthcare.
For more information about the artists please visit their websites www.simonripley.co.uk (Simon Ripley) and www.artnucleus.org (Simon Ryder)
