Lecturer in Graphic Communication Jane Anderson and Lecturer in Contextual Studies Ally Standing have painted a sculpture as part of the ‘Gratitude’ public art installation that was showcased in Birmingham throughout August.
Created by global public art producers Wild in Art, Gratitude “honours and pays tribute to the ongoing courage and dedication of NHS Staff and all key workers during the pandemic, and captures the extraordinary experiences that have connected us through these most challenging of times”.
The exhibition is free to visit, and has been curated in partnership with creative ambassador Dame Zandra Rhodes. It consists of 51 sculptures, all designed by professional artists and designers from across the UK.
Jane and Ally created their sculpture ‘Lockdown Pastimes' under the moniker ‘Lucky Pablo’. The duo started working under this name back in March 2020 at the beginning of the first Covid-19 lockdown.
Starting off doodling shapes, forms and symbols, the pair have been doing their best to spread visual joy through their playful and folk-inspired designs.
Lucky Pablo’s colourful design is based on the hobbies and pastimes which kept Jane and Ally going throughout the pandemic, such as baking, art and gardening.
Ally said: "We were delighted to be approached by Wild in Art to paint a sculpture for the Gratitude installation. It’s a great way of saying thank you to all the key workers and NHS staff who got us through the last 18 months, and better still, it’ll be raising money for NHS Charities Together, a more than worthy cause."
Jane added: "We were especially pleased to be involved with this particular project as Lucky Pablo is something we started as a bit of a stress-reliever in the early days of lockdown, so it’s almost as if it’s come full circle for us. It was important to us to stay creative even in the darkest of times; not only for ourselves, but also for our students, who are a source of constant inspiration to us - and we hope to be the same for them." After 30 August, the exhibition moves on to visit Manchester, Edinburgh and London.
Watch the Lockdown Pastimes sculpture being unveiled here.
