Will & Frank
My name is Will Thomson. I am a 2nd Year BA Fine Art student and an interdisciplinary artist. I am keen on engaging with people and spaces in Lincolnshire within and outside of my artistic practice. I have previously worked with arts groups such as Creative Collective (Lincoln Museum and Usher Gallery) and Lincoln Excellence (UK New Artists) as collaborator producing community events and art exhibitions.
I moved to Lincoln in 2018, and since living here I found a sense of belonging that I hadn't felt before. However, my journey to get to where I am now has been far from smooth. When I first came to Lincoln, I had no connections and only a small handful of qualifications, so I relied on charities for support in finding my footing. Without their help I wouldn’t be doing what I am able to do now! I also identified the positive effect making art was having on my mental health when I started my Arts Foundation Year at the University of Lincoln in 2021.
I believe that the arts are truly crucial to communities and that they have the power to bring people of all backgrounds together, to educate, and to heal. Working with Turning Point and Lincolnshire Recovery Partnership has introduced me to an amazing group of participants who have motivated me to approach each of the sessions with enthusiasm. By working on Groundings: Flower Moon – Growing Passion, I feel like I am starting to give back to the community.
I am very proud of the work everyone has done in this module, and I am more inspired than ever to work with the lovely people of Lincolnshire.
Frank joined the project around Week 3 and quickly discovered his experimental side by working with materials he hadn't used before. His passion for the natural world, (and herbal teas), swiftly prompted an exploration into the secretive world of fungi. Frank is interested in the relationship humans have with fungi, with their abilities to heal and to harm, and the complex ways these organisms can shape ecosystems. Using clay, Frank started to sculpt mushrooms both real and imagined. It was not long before the table was populated by delicate and vibrant mushrooms, each one painted with meticulous care and attention to detail.
Since participating in the group sessions, Frank has begun to explore different artistic subjects and started experimenting with new methods of making within and outside of the Turning Point space. He has worked with pastels, acrylic pouring, and spray-paints. The mushroom became a recurring motif that featured in some of these additional artworks. Frank also cooks, and described cooking as being similar to an art form. He had even considered ways the act of cooking could be used as an artwork.
"Growing Passion" was Frank's suggestion for what the exhibition should be called. Like a mushroom, passion can grow in the most dark and unexpected places! This resonates with not only his practice, but the ethos of the group as a whole.
