Acclaimed artist Janette Parris will create new work based on the people of Peckham for the gallery’s first exhibition in 2016.
Peckham Promenade will take inspiration from the characters, lives and daily interactions of the people living, working in and visiting Peckham’s bustling Rye Lane. Parris will depict the stories she encountered whilst conversing with local residents and traders on the busy street. A long and colourful streetscape will be applied directly to the gallery walls depicting the rich culture of everyday life in Peckham’s vibrant town centre, whilst a video piece will animate some of the conversations Parris has had during a series of digital portraiture and animation workshops with Year 10 students at Harris Academy Peckham.
This unique location-specific artwork developed throughout 2015, when Parris took to the streets of Peckham to meet local businesses, traders and shoppers with whom she struck up a relationship. It was from here that her digital portraits came to life, depicting the characters that she met on her travels and committing their individual take on Peckham to ‘virtual canvas’ as it were, only to be redrawn back onto the gallery walls. Next summer the work will be painted onto its final destination: the walls of the Rye Lane – Choumert Grove pedestrian corridor. In total a full 60 metres of street scenes have been created, a small selection of which will be shown in this exhibition.
This observational exploration of Peckham’s identity was the starting point for a series of digital portraiture and animation workshops that were led by Parris with Year 10 students at Harris Academy Peckham, the results of which will be featured within the main exhibition.
Janette Parris said:
“I’m delighted to be exhibiting at Peckham Platform, as it gave me the chance to meet and work with the people in the area and portray their lives. A big part of my work is about highlighting the everyday. I wanted to depict the familiar and often enjoyable experience of popping to the shops in Peckham.”
Peckham Platform 89 Peckham High Street London SE15 5RS
Peckham Promenade Opening : 21st January 6pm – 9pm
22nd January – 25th March 2016 www.peckhamplatform.com
@PeckhamPlatform
