Looking up during lockdown – artists collaborate on sky high project

Date 8.07.2020

Two artists have turned to the heavens for inspiration for a project which documents the impact of lockdown.

Fine Art students Georgia Watkins and Rosie Zielinski teamed up to work on the Looking Out, Looking Up project, which invited people to submit photos of their view of the sky, or from their window, while in isolation.

The images will be included in a book, each accompanied by a sentence from the photographer which described how they felt whilst taking the shot.

Image by Adrian Raggio.

Image by Adrian Raggio.

Georgia is a first year Fine Art student at the University of Northampton, while Rosie is in the first year of a Fine Art Printmaking degree at Camberwell College of Arts and both live in Bedfordshire.

Georgia said: “When we launched the project we were self-isolating and hoped this series of photographs would bring people together through their shared experiences of the outside world from their homes.

“While lockdown has been lifted, we are still encouraging people to submit images for another month – we are very keen to see submissions from the rest of the UK as well as internationally, especially as each country has experienced lockdown at different times. However, the submissions we have received have mainly been from Northamptonshire, so far.”

Georgia, right, and Rosie.

Georgia, right, and Rosie.

Georgia added: “We have really enjoyed the images coming in. I really admire the image from Robyn Maclennan which features an aeroplane, which she explained she was very surprised to see. It was sent to us at the beginning of lockdown when I think most people were feeling a sense of solitude and it reminded me that things were still happening in the world.

“Once we have set and passed the deadline for submissions, Rosie and I will be hand printing the images in a handmade book which will also feature a statement from the person and the date in which the image was taken. We hope to create a small collection of images which tell the story of the lockdown through the eyes of the sky.”

Robyn Maclennan's image.

Robyn Maclennan’s image.

The view from Kardi Somerfield's Northampton home.

The view from Kardi Somerfield’s Northampton home.

A shot from Jackie Heath.

A shot from Jackie Heath.

Image by Wayne Standell.

Image by Wayne Standell.

To find out more, or submit your image, email lookingoutlookingup@gmail.com

You can find out more about the project by using the #lookingoutlookingup hashtag on Instagram.

Follow Georgia on Instagram

Follow Rosie on Instagram