Breathing In Art is a new series by Fermynwoods Contemporary Art to support and promote mask wearing whilst celebrating and featuring selected artists. Whilst we’re amid a global pandemic and wearing masks to protect ourselves and others is part of everyday life, we’re inviting artists to design a range of masks that will be available to the public.
The next in this series comes from artist and Fermynwoods Director, James Steventon. James’ practice explores and prioritises the experience of endurance over its representation. This mask design features a new drawing where a mark is made for each inhalation and exhalation, and repeated continuously for a full day during lockdown whilst wearing a face mask throughout.
Typically with these drawings I’d mark each breath continuously until failure, however to acknowledge and explore that many of us are currently already living in a prolonged period of adversity I wanted to make a drawing to mark an eight hour working day during lockdown.
Rather than the durational exercise itself, the difficulty in this drawing was finding a spare eight hours plus recovery during a typical 12 hour day among existing work, health and family commitments. By comparison, wearing a face mask became rather insignificant after about 10 minutes.
Throughout the drawing I was reminded of friends and family struggling through current conditions, with the belief that something meaningful and beautiful can emerge from enduring.
James Steventon
To order this mask design for just £20 including P&P click on the product image below to order from our online store.
We are working with a sustainable supplier who make everything in the UK through ethical employment practices, with eco-friendly inks, FSC certified materials and water-free manufacturing. The masks are made to order, and any fabric waste is given free to creatives to repurpose instead of sending to landfill.
Look out for more Breathing in Art designs in the coming weeks.