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Relocated to Bristol
Photos show the view from my studio window, of rooftops and sky, with a table, red blinds and a red chair. One shows the view during the day and one at night
After many years living and working in London, I’ve returned to my beloved Bristol where I began my studies. I’m rekindling my roots here making new work inspired by the city and the South West, and exhibiting locally. I’m re-establishing close links with Cornwall where I’ve made much of my work. Meanwhile, as a freelancer, I continue my established associations in London and across the UK working with galleries and heritage sites.Royal West of England (RWA), Friends Exhibition: ‘A Glimpse of People on Another Train, Night Tube’
I had this work accepted into the Royal West of England Academy friends exhibition at the Create Centre in Bristol. All works had to be under 100cm. As most of mine are long, this was one of the few I could put in!
It shows three scenes from the Piccadilly line in a concertina sketchbook, pen and acrylic on paper, 20x86cm.
The 3 scenes from left to right, in horizontal format, show an empty bench on Barons Court tube station platform, a glimpse of passengers on another train, they are black silhouettes against the yellow light of the window, and the front of a tube train as it comes into a station at night.
Audio described talk at The National Portrait Gallery, London
The picture shows Sally delivering a gallery talk, next to a large photographic portrait of Malala, to an audience of visually impaired adults. CREDIT Ines Alves/© NPG, London.
It was great to work with the National Portrait Gallery on an audio described tour alongside curator Rab MacGibbon. We did an introduction to the new galleries and architecture in a descriptive event for blind and partially sighted visitors. Highlights included a huge photograph of Malala by Shirin Neshat, an oil pastel portrait of Zadie Smith by Toyin Ojih Odutola, and exploring the large bronze entrance doors by Tracey Emin. It felt so good to be back doing live events in such an exciting new space. Many thanks to staff at NPG, particularly Anna Linch, participation project manager, and curator Rab MacGibbon, it was lovely working with them both.
Sally on BBC Radio 3, Free Thinking
Photo of Sally in the BBC Recording studio with 2 other panellists and the presenter Catherine Fletcher. CREDIT: Olive Clancy BBC
Photo of view of BBC building from Salford Quays
Free Thinking programme Wednesday 30th November 2022, 10pm. Listen on BBC Sounds.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001fdxq
Producer in Salford: Olive Clancy.
I was invited to participate in a panel on a programme discussing immersive art, recorded at BBC Radio 3, in Salford. The panel included New Generation Thinker Vid Simoniti with his take on this year's Turner Prize, Cleo Hanaway-Oakley and myself on how sound and sight affect our experience of art.
My photographic lightboxes in the Layers of Vision exhibition at Kings College London, got a mention.
Layers of Vision — Living in a world made for sighted people
Monday 21 November to 16 December 2022
The Arcade at Bush House, South Wing, King’s College London, Strand, WC2B 4PJ
Layers of Vision explores the experiences and perspectives of blind and partially sighted artists living in a world made for sighted people. In meaningfully co-created and joyful ways, Layers of Vision raises attention to, and challenges, the barriers that people who are blind or have sight loss are facing in everyday life. It does so by exhibiting ten artworks that celebrate and creatively explore accessibility. Each artwork, in its own way, appreciates different forms of vision and features multisensory elements. The exhibition was open to the public from 21 November to 16 December, 2022.
The exhibition displays commissioned works by Aaron McPeake, Alice Christina-Corrigan, Bianca Raffaella, Clarke Reynolds, David Johnson, Fae Kilburn, Mickel aka Ebony Rose Dark, Natalie Doig, Sally Booth, and Zoe Partington.
Sally Booth
Artwork title:
Footfall in the City
Year:2022
Type of work:Two landscape format photographic lightboxes with layers of ink
Size of the work:(45 x 32 x 4 cm)
Description:
The lightboxes reflect Sally’s experience of negotiating the fast-moving, energetic city. She took photographs and made drawings around Bush House, and the walk from there to Waterloo station. The pieces are a composite of layers of legs, feet and limbs, as they passed her by on pavements and stairs, often visually confusing – ghostly traces of moving figures. Sally overlayed these with line drawings in thick coloured inks. The photographic background has been made blue to heighten luminosity.
This image shows two visual pieces hung side by side. They are vibrant blue in colour and the first image on the left hand side shows feet moving in almost blurred motions over steps. The second image on the right hand side shows feet moving on what could be described as a busy cityscape, the feet in this image are not all blue but are contrasted with some red, white and emboldened textures of blue throughout to show almost the shadowing of feet moving.
Audio description:
For more detailed information
layersofvision.org/
layersofvision.org/people/07-sbooth/
Layers of Vision is devised by Dr Katharina C. Husemann (King’s Business School), Dr Anica Zeyen (Royal Holloway, University of London) and Dr Leighanne Higgins (Lancaster University Management School). It is based on their ongoing research in which they explore how museums in the UK make their art collections accessible to blind and partially sighted visitors. The exhibition is funded by King’s Business School Innovation Fund, and is supported by King’s Culture, King’s Digital Lab, Shape Arts, and Zoe Partington.
International publication 'It's Freezing in LA!'
Issue 9, May 2022
I was approached by this magazine to submit an illustration to accompany 'Nature Reframed: the importance of disabled perspectives', an article by poet and essayist Elspeth Wilson. Art Editor Nina Carter had particularly liked my wide-angle panoramic views and wanted an image of nature from indoors looking outdoors to go alongside the written piece. They chose one of my Japanese drawings of a view from inside the tea house looking out into the gardens.
This picture shows my hands holding the open magazine with my drawing across the top of the double page spread.
View from the Tea House Japanese garden ink and watercolour on paper.
Detail from a 4m long panoramic drawing on folding Japanese Calligraphy book.
It's Freezing in LA!, an independent magazine about climate change
Picture of portrait format cover, May 2022
Double page spread of the article by Elspeth Wilson
Double page spread of my drawing and second part of the article underneath
Here is a pdf of the article.
For those who are interested, the title of the magazine comes from this direct quote from Donald Trump denying climate change in 2013: “Ice storm rolls from Texas to Tennessee – I'm in Los Angeles and it's freezing. Global warming is a total, and very expensive, hoax!”
It's Freezing in LA! is a critically acclaimed independent magazine printing environmental slow journalism. Published bi-annually, we find the ground between science and activism, inviting writers and illustrators from a variety of fields to give us their view on how climate change will affect – and is affecting – society. We want to help untangle the environmental tensions and choices that humanity must navigate by platforming as many different perspectives as we can find. IFLA! provides original, engaging and surprising content, widening environmental discussion and platforming essential conversations about difficult topics.
Visit It's Freezing in LA! On @itsfreezinginla and their website.International work
Not Born Yesterday, Not Going Away.A PART OF TORONTO'S CoMOTION FESTIVAL 2022, April 20th to May 1st, 2022.
The vitrine exhibition I am part of will be on show until September the 11th 2022.
The exhibition consists of eight vitrines (glass display cases), located in the west corridor in Harbourfront Centre’s main Artport building at 235 Queens Quay West in Toronto.
Photo by Brian Medina
I was chosen as one of eight artists to be featured in this exhibition. I made work to honour Edgar Degas, inspired by the rusty reds he used in his later work. My work features in one of eight vitrines displayed along a wall at the Harbourfront Center at Toronto. The interior of each vitrine measures 93cm L x 93cm W and 39.5cm deep.
Photo by Luigi Discenza
Photo by Luigi Discenza
Photo by Luigi Discenza
Here is some information about the exhibition and my project.
Bringing together the dynamic and creative expressions of the Deaf and disabled communities, CoMotion is celebrating bold new work through its energetic multidisciplinary programming. Curated by renowned Canadian playwright, actor and disability arts advocate Alex Bulmer, CoMotion features a diverse series of engaging performances, events, visual art exhibitions, workshops and panel discussions.
Not Born Yesterday, Not Going Away celebrates the long history of Deaf and Disability Art, connecting living artists with their chosen ancestors- an opportunity to create across time, to honour those who have shaped our present, and to move forward with a strong sense of collective history.
For more information, go to CoMotion or
Not Born Yesterday, Not Going Away
Degas Red
My project is in response to the colour palette of Edgar Degas (1834–1917).
Photo of Sally at the National Gallery looking at a Degas painting called ‘Combing the Hair’.
Combing the Hair c. 1896 hangs in London’s National Gallery. I’ve grown up with this picture. The print we had at home now hangs over my fireplace. It depicts an intimate scene of a young woman having her thick mane of flame red hair combed. The colours are audacious, predominantly oranges and hot rusty reds that shimmer out of the brush stroke edges of the picture.
Degas was already starting to lose his sight by the time he did this painting. But, he adapted, and his paintings became looser with less detail, his pastels rougher, and eventually, he abandoned painting in favour of sculpture.
The barren landscape on the North Cornish coast has big skies and mineral-rich red earth. I worked directly outside, developing a series of paintings and concertina sketchbooks. All Degas’ colour palette from Combing the Hair was there – ochres, rust red and vermillion. I incorporated iron oxide and mud I collected on-site into some of my paintings to create that Degas inspired red.
Fast Sky with Orange and Red, 2022
Acrylic on watercolour paper 55.88 x 76.2cm
I also collaborated with audio describer Rebecca Singh from Superior Description Services who made recordings for all the vitrines. To hear the recordings of my work other artists works, follow this link or QR code.
See more of my work for this project on my gallery page and on instagram.
Taking out the Roasted Veg, Christmas 2021 by Sally Booth
Pencil crayon, acrylic and oil pastel on paper.
H 24cm x W 30cm landscape format.
This year I was commissioned by VocalEyes to create this picture for their winter newsletter with a description (below)
This painting shows a large baking tray of colourful hot roasted vegetables. The tray is viewed from above and takes up most of the picture. It is black, rectangular and slightly battered and wonky with rounded corners and a rim. On the tray are strewn a haphazard jumble of root vegetables.
Bright orange wiggly carrots cooked whole with pointy ends, knobbly parsnips in their skins, all yellow and honey gold, red onions chopped lengthways into large chunks to reveal layers of caramelising stripes of magenta and purple. The roasted vegetables contrast brightly against the bottom of the black tray.
The tray is being held either side by a pair of heavy-duty black oven gloves. The thick thumbs of the mitten style gloves clutch the sides of the tray and the long black sleeves are cropped by the bottom of the picture. This composition suggests that it is the viewer who is wearing the gloves and holding the tray.
The background of the picture is painted purple violet. The gloves are outlined crudely with thick orangey red pastel. The rim of the tray has a rusty orange glow. This emphasizes a sense of heat, and contrasts with the purple background. It is as if the baking tray of piping hot vegetables has just that moment been taken out of the oven.
2021 Highlights
This year in between lockdowns I've managed to have a few episodes of work in real life. I got the chance to work at the Arnolfini in Bristol and at The Box in Plymouth, and did my first workshop with Year 2 children at Orleans House Gallery. I also had the pleasure of working with staff at Farleys in Sussex, home of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose.
There was no Open Studio this year, but we did manage to have an outdoor Art Fair in the grounds of the park, and survived the deluge!
One of my artworks was chosen to go on a series of banners on Wandsworth lamp-posts. Mine was by the bus stop opposite Tooting Market.
I managed to get down to Cornwall in November to do some more painting of the empty landscapes. And this winter, I'll be using these to work on a commission to fill a vitrine as part of the CoMotion Festival at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto in 2022.VR project with Andrea McSwan
More Than Meets The Eye. A VR animation made by Andrea McSwan based on conversations with me about my sight and drawing on the tube.
Trained in theatre and film design, Scotland based animator and art director, Andrea McSwan, is based in Dundee. Her practice-based PhD study, More Than Meets The Eye, explores how animation, created and viewed in virtual reality, can represent the perceptual-experiences of three professional artists with sight-loss.
Here is the full film with Sally featured in the first 4 minutes.
Throughout the year I have been making drawings of the deserted tube through the Covid period.
Studio Tour
Studio tour from digital:works on Vimeo.
A short video of concertina sketchbook COVID tube drawings in Sally Booth’s studio. Displayed informally on a long shelf, and filmed from left to right, Sally walks and talks us through a selection of deserted stations, platforms and tunnels drawn during various periods of lockdown.
