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See an aerial view of the Stourport Basins by clicking here
To see photos of the current restoration work in the Stourport Basins, visit the Stourport Basins Photo Gallery.
If you are part of a group or an individual involved in the day to day activity of Stourport Canal Basins then Sally would love to hear from you. If you are interested then please contact Susannah Ronan by e-mail
e-mail us with your news, views and contributions for the website
Diary Images
The Diary Images commission will invite artist Sally Payen to work with British Waterways staff and site users to archive the daily life of the Canal Basin, and the process of change to the site.
This commission offers a unique opportunity to document the historical, physical and social changes of Stourport Canal Basins through interaction with the people who use the site most frequently. Sally may work closely with, and observe British Waterways staff and site users to gather information about the daily life of the canal basins and use this to build on her own interpretation of the site. She will draw on local eyes, knowledge and skills and use these findings to establish a set of images which can be used to animate the site through projection, exhibition or display, of, about and around the site.
This commission provides an opportunity to create a source of imagery which can be drawn upon to document the present and create a visual record of the changes to the site.
Commission Aims:
- Create images which will document and record the present in the future
- Involve British Waterways staff and site users in the arts programme
- Create a source of imagery which can be used to animate the site
Sally’s Response
“For me this is about highlighting some of the vistas and one of the most prominent leisure activities found in the canal basins – going down the canal on a barge. I want to make artwork that originates in painting; painting as view making that shows Stourport as a perfect place to travel through and spend time in.
The idea is to explore the ebb and flow of Stourport Canal Basins particularly focusing on the slow movement of barges and the gradual changes in canal water as it goes up and down as the locks are opened and closed. Focusing on the ebb and flow highlights links to the natural world and feelings when on holiday, slowing down, relaxing and taking the time to operate at the speed of water changes.
Painting is often about one still image, one moment in time. However, I want to link a series of still like paintings to make a gentle moving image; a series of paintings turned into animation. The movement could focus on the water changing, the barges moving slowly and the people operating the locks and barges. The movement in the animation will draw attention to the poetics of the ebb and flow and contemporary painting.”
Sally Payen
Sally began her career as a painter, BA, 1st class Brighton Polytechnic followed by an MA at the Royal College of Art, (1988-1990). During and after this time she exhibited nationally in art fairs, museums, galleries and taught in art schools, led workshops, and was tour guide for contemporary art exhibitions. She won the Purchase Prize, South East Arts Award for her painting ‘The Red River’ and her most memorable show was in the Cultures Gallery; Brighton Museum called ‘Charmed Bodies’. She made new artwork inspired by a Charm Gown worn by the Ashanti people from Ghana over a hundred years ago.
In 2002 Sally moved to Herefordshire and initially focused on completing her practice-based PhD Brighton University; Areas of interest included the museum, house and body and how these could be subjects for painting. She also began to prioritise her work as an engaged public artist and jointly set up Praxis, a home for her research and projects in the public realm. Recently she has been lead artist for a MADE youth shelter project in Worcester; a Young Roots Heritage Lottery Project on WW2; and an Arts Council funded project on Teenage Pregnancy. Sally is currently setting up new research exploring how aspects of the language of painting can be extended into the public realm.
Website Commission Update:
April 2007:
Sally will spend time visiting Stourport Canal Basins during April to identify the activity, views and vistas which most represent the daily life of the site today. She will be capturing images and speaking with users and workers to assist in her research.
May 2007:
Sally has been building up an understanding of the daily life of the Canal Basins by visiting and exploring the site on a regular basis. She has taken many photographs of the site from different viewpoints and is considering a number of ideas to capture the different daily movements created in, by and around the site.
June 2007:
Sally has identified animation as a way to capture the movement created by the day to day activity on the site. She is fascinated by the idea of capturing still images and creating moving images by playing them in sequence. She has been working to develop her media skills through a specialised training course focusing on animation. Sally is now developing her ideas and will complete her work in July.
July 2007:
Sally has continued to capture images of the canal basins and the movement around the site through photography, drawings and video images. She is particularly interested in the opening and closing of lock gates and the movement of people during this process. Sally has collected much footage of different people going through this motion and is creating an animation to highlight this movement on site.
August 2007:
Sally has been working in a studio to create an animation piece from the footage she has collected during her time observing the movement around the Stourport Canal Basins site.
If you are part of a group or an individual involved in the day to day activity of Stourport Canal Basins then Sally would love to hear from you. If you are interested then please contact Susannah Ronan on susannah.ronan@britishwaterways.co.uk