Artists and Farmers: A Life Drawing Session
11 JulyThursday 11 July
Time: 6.30 - 7.30pm
£8 or £12 suggested ticket price
Meet at Gallery Reception
Artists and Farmers: A Life Drawing Session
Join us for this extraordinary event that bridges the gap between art and agriculture, celebrating the resilience and creativity of both communities.
The Sainsbury Centre, in collaboration with Orleans House Gallery and supported by Norwich University of the Arts, is thrilled to present a unique and thought-provoking event led by the acclaimed artist Ivan Morison, and aims to highlight the profound connections between the worlds of agriculture and art.
No experience necessary, beginners welcomed.
This initiative explores the shared economic and systemic challenges faced by both artists and farmers. Despite their apparent differences, both professions are deeply intertwined with the fabric of capitalism, reliant on external funding, and subject to market pressures. Through this life-drawing event, Morison seeks to foster mutual understanding and appreciation between these essential yet often undervalued community pillars.
Through this immersive experience, artists will engage directly with farmers, capturing their essence and challenging conventional boundaries. It will encourage participants to view each other through a fresh perspective, fostering a deeper connection and appreciation.
In addition to the drawing sessions, Ivan Morison will embark on several farm visits, participating in farm-related activities and documenting these experiences through medium format photography and a detailed journal. The research aims to capture the essence of farming life and the personal stories of the farmers, enriching Morison’s broader artistic practice.
The project will culminate in the creation of outdoor sculptural forms that symbolize the ongoing cycle of life and decay inherent in both art and agriculture. At the Sainsbury Centre, visitors will be introduced to ‘The Artists’—three large, 4-metre-high hayrick-like structures that will gradually decompose, reflecting natural entropy. These sculptures will evolve into ‘The Farmers’ at Orleans House Gallery in London in 2025, transforming and integrating into the surrounding woodland landscape.
About the artist
Ivan Morison
Artist Ivan Morison, born in 1974 in Istanbul, Turkey, has developed a comprehensive artistic practice that blends elements of art, architecture, theatre, and activism. His projects typically involve performance and are tailored to specific locations, manifesting as unique events and extensive installations or structures within public settings.
For the past two decades, Ivan Morison has collaborated with Heather Peak, born in 1973 in the UK. An amalgamation of social sculpture and sculptural environments characterises their collaborative creations. Their artistic interventions transform spectators and accidental onlookers into active participants, emphasising the importance of the setting and the social interactions it fosters. Their works either confront the surrounding environment or seamlessly integrate into it, employing organic materials that change colour, evolve, or deteriorate over time, ultimately turning into what they describe as ‘ruins from the future.’
In 2007, Heather Peak and Ivan Morison were chosen as the representatives for Wales at the prestigious Venice Biennale of Art with their exhibit ‘Pleasure Island.’ More recently, the renowned publishing house Art/Books released ‘Love Me or Leave Me Alone: The Very Public Art of Heather and Ivan Morison,’ a monograph that meticulously details their public artworks spanning the last fifteen years.