I am really excited to be exhibiting at the Horsebridge Arts Centre with an amazing group of fellow photographers. The Abstract Rhythm and Blue Notes course was intended to take a very diverse group of international and British photographers who are already free-thinkers and, in many cases, award winning artists on a deep dive into abstraction, ICM, surrealism, layering, compositing and all manner of other genres. I applied to this group and was amazed and thrilled to be accepted. The aim of the course was to embrace the whole world of art and explore not only other photographers but artists and different art movements, different techniques and ways of using our cameras and to let us explore and stretch our creativity in a safe community. Abstract photography provides challenging and exciting opportunities for creativity, while blue notes which are used in music for expressive purposes at a slightly different pitch from the standard, indicate individuality and departure from the norm.
This was one of the great positives of the restrictions of Covid as when the concept of photography trips suddenly ground to a halt, Valda Bailey and Doug Chinnery turned to teaching their art and photography online. As a result, whilst we spent a whole year studying together, this exhibition in Whitstable will be the first time some of us meet face to face. It is odd to feel that you know someone well and count them your friend and inspiration but have never actually met face to face.