Flock Together

‘Flock Together’ was co-conceived by artists Sara Dudman and Debbie Locke, working together in collaboration from 2013- 2016. Together they created a series of paintings and drawings which explore the interface between machine and hand-made marks, whilst attempting to capture and represent the complex and interdependent working relationship between a Blackdown Hills sheep farmer, his dog and his sheep. Using innovative technology, including webcams and GPS, combined with more traditional mediums, the artists worked in alternating layers, incorporating painterly gestures interwoven with precise, machine-made lines, to simultaneously reveal and obliterate the depicted movements of sheep. Though, seemingly chaotic, there is order within these turbulent scenes – patterns emerge, linking the whereabouts of the flock to the activity of the farmer and the dog. This continuous dialogue between visual coherence and the conceptual basis for the work became a central focus, driving this collaborative layering process – whilst allowing the work to remain rooted in landscape traditions and the documentation of traditional farming Practices.

 

An extensive engagement programme was central to the project, comprising participatorary workshops with targeted groups including sessions with students with visual impairments, rural communities, outreach youth groups and innovative gallery-based participation opportunities.

Find more information about Flock Together on the project blog.

Works from this project have been exhibited extensively, including:

Thelma Hulbert Gallery (solo exhibition), Devon

Black Swan Arts, Frome (solo exhibition), Somerset

A2 Gallery (solo exhibition), Wells

Royal West of England Academy of Arts

Oriel Davies, Wales

Little Buckland Gallery (solo exhibition), Cotswolds