Art of Isolation Exhibition
Age UK Lancashire are delighted and privileged to present this exhibition of art, writing and photography and the stories behind them, in response to the Lockdown due to COVID-19 during the Spring and Summer of 2020. The work has been submitted by over-50s from across Lancashire and its borders.
This exhibition is a unique legacy that bears witness to individual experiences of Lockdown, expressed through creative activity. In doing so it reflects many of the wider concerns of a society caught up in these life-changing times.
We owe a huge thank you to all our contributors for providing work that is exciting, fascinating and insightful, and for their generosity of spirit in sharing this work with us all.
Pour a drink and settle in.
Viewing the exhibition
To view the exhibition categories, click the blocks below or alternatively through the 'View collections' tab on the right side of the Flickr exhibition page.
Alternatively, If you would like to view the submissions as a whole visit our Flickr page where you will be able to see every entry organised by name.
Categories
-
Lockdown Living
Everyday life suddenly looked very different. Waving at family through a window, a birthday party on Zoom, gardening and growing food for the first time, moving house and not being able to meet the neighbours. These were just a few of the recurring themes of Lockdown life in the Spring and Summer of 2020.
Submissions by: Anne Oliver, Bob, Brenda Turner, Caroline Johnson, Catherine Mackay, Cherrie Edger, Christina Glover, Diana Hudson, Glenys Halliday, Grandma Marie, Jacqui King, Jane Binnion, Julie Hughes, Kelsang Gogden, Karen, Kate Collins, Margaret, Neil Inkley, Philip Westcot, Rachel Almond, Sarah Bowers, Sonja Rozzell, Sue Chisnall-Summer, Theresa Gilfoyle.
-
Local Adventures
With physical boundaries and time restraints placed on outside activity, attention was focused on local vistas and excursions around the neighbourhood. The peace and quiet in a world of so little traffic also turned attention to what we had missed in the hurly-burly of normal life.
Submissions by: Anthony Bishop, Anne Addison, Anthony, Bill Plews, Catherine Mackay, Chrissy Fitzsimmons, Christina Glover, Gail Medley, Jack Swann, Jean, Julie Hughes, Kate Collins, Patricia Haskey, Paul Craven, Steve Whitworth.
-
Further Afield
So many places were out of reach, but they were alive in memories and dreams. They surfaced and found expression in paintings of holiday destinations, and beloved places explored through the imagination in their absence.
Submissions by: Anne Addison, Bill Plews, Brenda Hird, Charlie Holt, Desmond Fairclough, Gail Medley, Jeanie Walton, Lawrence Smye-Rumsby, Patricia Haskey.
-
In the News
Spring 2020 Lockdown brought with it constantly changing rules and regulations. Each week brought new challenges to everyday life. Rainbows and clapping for the NHS, masks, social distancing and the Black Lives Matter movement were all centre stage.
Submissions by: Bob Armitage, Carolyn Higgins, Jeanie Walton, Kate Collins, Kelsang Gogden, Philip Westcott.
-
Nature
The natural world became a reminder of what is unchanging. In the absence of aircraft vapour trails and the constant drone of traffic, the sky belonged only to the birds and their songs. Whether out there or in the imagination, plants and animals, even dinosaurs, remained unaffected by COVID-19.
Submissions by: Anne Addison, Anne, Anthony Bishop, Anthony, Christina Glover, Jean, Kelsang Gogden, Mark Giligan, Sonja Rozzell.
-
People
Lockdown was a very human affair. Whether capturing responses to the pandemic or the expression of the human form, this work is an acknowledgement of the nature and resilience of the human spirit.
Submissions by: Anthony Bishop, Anthony, Brenda Hird, Charlie Holt, Christina Glover, Desmond Fairclough, Diane Hinson, Geoff Oliver, Lawrence Smye-Rumsby, Liz Grib, Lorraine Egan, Maha Al-Khattab, Susan Leigh, Thomas Judge.
-
Make Me Smile
As the nation’s hair grew longer, the lighter side of Lockdown emerged. A natural instinct to find humour in this other way of life had plenty of subject matter to play with.
Submissions by: Ben Hunt, Bob Armitage, Bob, Cheryl Speak, Jacqui King, Julie Hughes.
-
Imagination
Imagination follows its own paths towards making sense of a world in Lockdown. Sci-fi futures, surreal visions and cross-dressing teddies all found their way here. In some ways, artistic expression never had so much space.
Submissions by: Alan Stephenson, Alison Higham, Anthony, Bill Plews, Brenda Hird, Diane Hinson, Jeannie Pritchard, Kate Collins, Peter Wilkin, Thomas Judge, Tim Fielding.
Lockdown Living - Audio Files
Enjoy some additional submission audio entries, as part of the Lockdown Living category.