Simon Woolham is an artist and also a lecturer at the University of Huddersfield. His primary practice is expanded drawing. However, the many strands he has to his practice include being a musician, as L.A.S.H. He performs the everyday as his alter-ego ‘The Frog’. Simon Woolham is based at ROGUE ARTISTS’ STUDIOS in Manchester
“Providing a voice to unheard vistas of history”
As a visual artist, Simon Woolham’s work is concerned primarily with occupied spaces and the personal and collective narrative that unfolds in them. At the core of his practice is the collaborative exploration and encouragement of hidden human details, shared histories, stories associated with belonging and the relationship to specific places and spaces; providing a voice to often unheard vistas of history.
“Glimpses of speech”
The artist explores layers of history, drawing out narrative, and glimpses of speech. In his attempts to unearth this unpredictable and fragile process, he utilises both traditional and non-traditional processes. His work ranges widely from biro drawings, to sculpture, from collaborative walking to text.. He engages in performance and song-making,. He makes paper interventions, animations, video.
“Performing layers of narrative”
Simon Woolham explores a variety of processes, specifically around expanded drawing and through the concept of creating a physical, virtual and psychological artistic residency of the mind,. He mixes live and digital platforms, encouraging narrative associated with a multitude of spaces and times.
” I see the drawing process as a way of performing layers of narrative in the present, through the act of drawing them out both for myself and for others. I process this through how hard, how soft, how detailed and how vague – a representation of the layered spatial narrative plane.”
The Frog and L.A.S.H.
The Frog, his alter-ego and L.A.S.H., his musical persona, are both performative and song making extensions to his work. The Frog alter-ego explores notions of adapting and surviving, promoting free roaming, play and action whatever they desire, to act in whatever way they feel.
Simon learns from The Frog and The Frog learns from Simon, both gaining confidence from this, allowing for both realities to merge and be celebrated, in the hope of passing this on.
