Hinterland Exhibition

In this exhibition, Simon Langsdale and Jane Bottery bring together letter carving, lettering, painting and drawing from the mutual wish to make meditative pieces which resonate with the viewer. They both have an appreciation of nature writing and chose The Peregrine by J A Baker as their initial source of inspiration.

The book is set on the flat marshes of the Essex coast and focuses on Baker’s observations of the birds that share this particular environment. First published in 1967, it is considered to be one of the most important books in twentieth-century nature writing. The artists were drawn to it because of the author’s painterly and expressive way of describing the landscape. A favourite quote from the book is ‘the hardest thing of all to see is what is really there’.

Walking the same localities Baker explored, they found the coastal area around Tollesbury resonated with their own sensibilities and interests. Over time they came to recognise that this calm and transient space with its ebb and flow, its juxtapositions of wildness and man-made interventions and its fleeting glimpses of history, tied in with their preferences for things on the periphery and for exploring the unusual and overlooked.

The title Hinterland came out of these walks, discussions and pauses to observe and, to the artists, means both what they could see and absorb but also what was interior, a sort of thoughtful meandering as well as a physical one. The work the artists ended up creating has gently ventured away from their original inspirations, following unexpected paths and so echoing the paths Baker took in his book.

Simon Langsdale

Simon has had a lifelong interest in the arts and crafts and history, which led him to complete a full-time course at Roehampton University in calligraphy and bookbinding from 2006 - 07. During 2007 - 08, he undertook an informal apprenticeship with the letter carver Tom Perkins, developing drawn lettering and learning how to cut them in stone. For several years, he continued to develop his skills and worked with several other letter carvers.

In 2011, Simon set up his own workshop and from 2017-2020 he was a fellow of DIgswell Arts Trust and then moved to Parndon Mill, where he is currently based.

In 2015 he co-curated an exhibition at the Lettering Arts Trust about the craftsman Michael Renton; also jointly editing an accompanying book, ‘His Hands Magic: Michael Renton 1934-2001’.

Recent work includes public art in Bishop’s Stortford, Welwyn Garden City and in Ware, Hertfordshire, as well as commissions for gardens and memorials. Simon has an active interest in history and holds a BA (first class hons) and an MA from the University of Hertfordshire.

Jane Bottery

Jane uses a variety of media to create minimal works where the original inspiration has been subtracted to its essence. The work is both a direct response to a place as well as a memory of place and time, representing a fleeting idea and sensation of personal experience. Her aim is to capture a luminosity and translucency to represent these moments of presence.

Often made in series or in relation to other works, mark-making, surface and meditative action are important considerations as is an element of chance and improvisation. Each piece is gradually built up over time with the concept of the work resting before completion being an important part of the process.

Jane was selected for the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize 2022, Linden Hall Winter Exhibition 2022 and has been shortlisted for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2023.

She was educated at Manchester Polytechnic and University of Hertfordshire, gaining a 1st class degree in Fine Art. She lives in north London and works at Digswell Arts Trust, Digswell.

Her work can be seen at janebottery.com and instagram/jbottery