In a Past Line by Kate Bigley
The Town is the Gallery, Convenience Pop Up @ Former M&S
Kate Bigley's 'In A Past Line' is an interactive installation set in Birkenhead's former Marks & Spencer. Until 2018, M&S occupied the now-vacant space and served as a popular department store for shoppers and residents. Its closure has left the community feeling discouraged about the future of Birkenhead. 'In A Past Line' aims to breathe life back into the building and evoke memories of M&S's bustling retail environment.
With the aim of reimagining the space as it once was, Kate uses industrial materials to fabricate retail displays and browsing shoppers. Through the manipulation of electrical tape, she draws silhouettes of customers onto translucent polythene plastic sheets that are suspended from the ceiling and scattered throughout the space. Attendees are encouraged to engage with these ghostly figures as they occupy much of the gallery's communal space. The tape continues throughout the exhibit and serves as a malleable and bold, yet temporary omnipresence, reminding people of the impermanence of things, particularly within this Marks & Spencer location.
The process of creating the work within the space allowed Kate to incorporate elements of the building's architecture and remnants of the shop into her piece. In doing so, the space's history informs the work and evokes a sense of nostalgia, enabling Kate to explore the more creative and playful aspect of her practice.
About Kate.
Kate Bigley is a female artist based in Wirral. Her practice encompasses drawing, painting, and installation. While she is primarily drawn to line and space, her work ultimately stems from the process of making as a form of mindfulness, which applies to all aspects of her practice. Kate enjoys the challenge of using line to capture the character and narrative of a live subject, evident in many of her line drawings. Working in installation allows Kate to draw interactively, utilizing architecture and playing with structures to reimagine a space. This aspect of her practice is both fun and creative, similar to drawing from life.
Kate currently resides in the Wellington Road Artist Studios in Oxton, alongside well-established and accomplished Wirral artists. You can visit Kate in her studio during the Wirral Open Studio Tour in June 2024!
Exhibition has been documented by Benjamin Nuttall.
Browse full exhibition document here - to request further photography of exhibit please contact conveniencegallery@outlook.com
See more from Kate Bigley at her website: https://www.bigglesart.co.uk
Exhibition is a part of Convenience Gallery, The Town is the Gallery. Curated & Produced with Andrew Shaw & Ryan Gauge, with thanks to Les Weston, Wirral Council, East Street Arts & Kindred LCR. Borough of Culture 2024.
