Here are some photographs that I took last summer using algae and plants from my pond. These followed on from the chalk and water experiments that I’ve written about previously. I’m looking at these images again as I explore masking and neurodivergence (see Masking a recent post on my artist’s blog), and start to planContinue reading “Shedding Skin”
Category Archives: James Aldridge – Artwork
Neuroqueer
I’m beginning to explore the significance of neurodivergence to me and my work. Thank you to Rachel Clive for introducing me to the phrase/concept of neuroqueer during my time in Glasgow. Here’s a few images and quotes, to gently start the ball rolling on this exploration, in the context of Queer River. ‘I coined theContinue reading “Neuroqueer”
Queer River, Wet Land – Recording of Online Sharing Event
I’m glad to be able to share this recording for those of you that were unable to make the Queer River, Wet Land sharing event last month, which took place as part of The Dear Green Bothy, with The University of Glasgow, What can queer perspectives bring to creative explorations of river health and riverContinue reading “Queer River, Wet Land – Recording of Online Sharing Event”
Our Animal Bodies
After spending a while focusing on other rivers and people’s experiences of them, I felt the need to spend time with my own local river again this week, the River Avon as it passes out of the Vale of Pewsey and starts heading down towards Salisbury. I decided to focus my walk on the otherContinue reading “Our Animal Bodies”
Experiments with Chalk and Water
Today I spent some time in my garden combining ideas from recent chalkstream research, explorations of bodily engagement with the more than human, chalk from my recent walk up the Pewsey Downs, and rainwater collected in my garden. Ideally these initial experiments would lead to me coating my whole body in chalk on the riverbank,Continue reading “Experiments with Chalk and Water”
Queer Constellations Exhibition at Museum of English Rural Life
I’m currrently exhibiting Two Avons: Boat and Body at the Museum of English Rural Life, as part of the Queer Constellations Exhibition, Artistic Trespass and Rural Gay Histories exhibition, curated by Joe Jukes with MERL. Two Rivers: Boat and Body is a new version of the Two Avons installation, originally commissioned by Yarmouth Springs Eternal.Continue reading “Queer Constellations Exhibition at Museum of English Rural Life”
Mermen, Otters and Bears
I’ve always had an interest in shapeshifting, in the ability to switch between bodily forms, or to exist as a human/animal hybrid. But I’d not really thought about it from a Queer perspective, so this post is very much a beginning. Of course, we are animals, and the animal/human divide is a false one. InContinue reading “Mermen, Otters and Bears”
Walking on Chalk
Several conversations recently have directed me towards chalk as subject matter and material, from my recent walk with Ecologist Tim Sykes discussing chalkstreams, aquifers and neolithic monuments, back to the very first walk with Geo-Archaeologist Claire Mellett, and current plans for future collaborations exploring the use of natural pigments, silts and chalks. Today I tookContinue reading “Walking on Chalk”
Walking with… Ecologist and Researcher Tim Sykes
Yesterday I took a walk with Tim Sykes along the River Kennet from Avebury. Tim, an ecologist who works for the Environment Agency, contacted me via Twitter (@RiversAndPeople) in connection with his doctoral research with Southampton University, into people’s relationship with and perceptions of chalk stream winterbournes. ‘I am especially interested in contributions to happiness,Continue reading “Walking with… Ecologist and Researcher Tim Sykes”
Ponds, Boats and Bodies
At the same time that Queer River evolves to include different wetland habitats, my garden wildlife pond, dug in early April continues to evolve, with diving beetles, pond skaters and various fly larvae arriving. Yesterday I sat by the pond to start to draw some of the plant life, and saw my first damsel fly,Continue reading “Ponds, Boats and Bodies”
Queer River 