In March 2020, artist Sam Wingate found himself in Felixstowe, Suffolk. Little did he know that it would be the start of a 16-month residency. Away from his London studio, Sam developed new ways of working with a new coastal subject.
SCENE: Drawing in Felixstowe by Sam Wingate.
SCENE exhibited a series of 12 drawings made on an iPad in Felixstowe en plein air between August and October 2020, when the UK was still under Government imposed lockdown. The drawings are the outcome of a collaborative project devised together with fellow Royal College of Art graduate Steph Parr, in which the artists agreed to commit one hour, three times a week to drawing - in different places, at the same time. Over WhatsApp, they checked in with each other, to confirm they were on location and ready to draw; Steph in Sheffield, Sam in Felixstowe.
Not having been in Felixstowe very long when lockdown struck, Sam found himself drawn to the same spot on the cliff below Harvest House - a secluded area shaded by trees, with views out across the bay. It is from here that Sam made the drawings.
The other part of the exhibition was a series of still lives of found objects that were gathered by Sam during walks he took along the coast towards Felixstowe Ferry during the same period. Washed up by the sea, these objects form the content of a new series of still lives that were created in the art space over the duration of the show, one drawn and added to the wall per day. All are giclée prints on Xativa paper, produced in an edition of 20 plus two artist proofs.
Vibrant and lively, the images of Felixstowe’s pleasure gardens betray some of Sam’s background as a textile designer.
Sam Wingate (b. Norwich, 1983) is an artist and educator. He spent 10 years as a designer-maker creating printed textile products for shops including Selfridges and institutions such as the Royal Academy and The British Museum. In 2015, he returned to study at the Royal College of Art forming an art practice that explores the shifting position of gay men in British society, winning the 2017 Winter Pride Arts award with Grindr Quilt. Sam is also a senior lecturer in Textile design at the London Metropolitan University. He lives between Leyton and Felixstowe.
Instagram: @sam_wingate | www.sam-wingate.com
