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Iona H Ford

@whatsionadoing

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West Cumbrian in Manchester
At: @pinkmcr_
More of me: @iona_ford
Email: [email protected]

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Studio chaos with @abbiefowler and @whatsionadoing

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‘Cumbrian On The Manchester Bus’ by Caleb Staps @calebstaps
After Iona Ford’s ‘Anonymity’ (2022)

This ekphrastic poem is inspired by ‘Anonymity’ (2022) by @whatsionadoing which were developed after she moved to Manchester. Feeling as though she lost her identity and sense of self within the city, Iona created a mask from bus seat material, which simultaneously hid her identity and drew attention.

I first saw the work at the Rough Terrain exhibition by @art__gene - the works really spoke to me having felt similar emotions while being in the city. Plus, I’m also fond of wearing a mask at times. I was able to pass a copy of the poem to Iona shortly after the exhibition had concluded during a workshop that we both attended.

This piece was performed as part of my support act set for @louisethepoet when she headlined Verbalise at the @brewery_arts_kendal late last month.

Photo/video credit: @alexthecameraguy

#EkphrasticPoetry #Ekphrastic #Cumbrian #PoetryUK #UKPoetry

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“Whilst it centres Cumbria, it speaks to broader questions about how communities remember, adapt and endure. Time and time again, the artists reveal value accumulating in overlooked places: seeds taking root amongst rubble, forms of knowledge persisting beyond official histories, identities flourishing beyond the limits imposed upon them.

What happens in the margins? According to ‘Rough Terrain’, quite a lot. Things grow there. Things survive there. Things accumulate. The exhibition does not offer definitive answers. Instead, it demonstrates that the margins are never empty. They are the rough terrain from which new possibilities emerge.”

Thank you to @corridor8 and @chrisalton for their thoughtful and expansive write up of our exhibition Rough Terrain - which closes to the public today, but is open by appointment until July 3rd.

Please email us on enquiries@art-gene.co.uk if you or a group would like a tour for the exhibition. Or join us tomorrow afternoon and Tuesday 30th for workshops with Iona Ford and Juliet Klottrup!

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Join Art Gene this Saturday 27th June 2pm - 4pm for Unhidden Tales workshop.

Connected with Iona’s work ANONYMITY and Scarecrow Brass displayed in the exhibition, the workshop Unhidden Tales uses the mask as an interface for participants to be embedded in Cumbrian local traditions, making and sharing their own unique masks using rural materials like hay and straw.

Masks have a rich history right around the globe. They are used in storytelling, rituals, theatres and protests to both conceal identity and draw attention. Based on the various second hand materials here at Art Gene, a Cumbrian cultural spot, we are recreating our own identities on the edgelands.

Booking via Eventbrite is essential as places are limited, free, refreshments and materials provided.

#RoughTerrain #artworkshop #barrowinfurness

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Thank you to everyone who attended the opening of Rough Terrain last Friday 12th, and our talks on Saturday 13th. We had a great two days celebrating the work of some fantastic Cumbrian artists.

Rough Terrain continues until June 26th, open from 12-4pm Tues-Sat in the Nan Tait Centre, Abbey Road, Barrow-in-Furness. LA14 5TY.

#seeittobeitcumbria

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Art Gene are excited to announce our upcoming exhibition - Rough Terrain: Artists in and on Cumbria!

Opening Friday 12th June - 6.30pm
then Navigating Practice, a morning of artist talks and conversation, on Saturday 13th June - 11.00am

Rough Terrain is a spotlight on those working in and about Cumbria, featuring 10 artists whose practice spans sculpture, film, print, drawing, and installation.

Come and learn more about the people, ecologies, and industries which make up our home terrain.

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More stones. Totally Bill Brandt inspired.

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A selection of our graduates and staff recently showcased their work at @mcrartfair 👏

The work displayed by our recent graduates and masters’ students Iona Ford, Sagnick Bhowmick and Coco Day, were produced for Art School Commissions, a new agency empowering our students to step confidently into the world as working artists.

Two Fine Art lecturers Chara Lewis and Katie Tomlinson also had their work acquired for Manchester Art Gallery’s permanent collection, selected by @mcrartgallery curators and purchased using The Manchester Contemporary Art Fund. 

Find out more about Manchester Art Fair, Art School Comissions and the work from Chara and Katie via the link in our bio 🔗

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some film pictures from the degree show / run up to the degree show !

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𝘢 𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 (2025)

A collective exhibition of seven local artists, investigating semantic links between artworks, walks in the landscape and physcogeographic wanderings.

Hosted in the run up to Degree Show, this exhibition offered the time and space to explore interactions between works both physically and symbolically, tapping into themes of phenomenology, folklore and psychogeography.

Curation:
Rio Darwin, Cain Casson, Daisy Fulton

Artists:
@_riodarwin
@caincasson
@daisyfultonart
@abbiefowler
@whatsionadoing
@esmeballardstudio
@studiocassjones

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One week since pARTy 2!!! Huge thank you to everyone involved, it was a beautiful creative night and we raised a load of donations for the food bank 🫶 If anyone who attended didn’t get to take home a part of the collaborative piece, I have a few going spare so let me know!!! 🪩 over and out until the next time 🩵🩵🩵

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A strong year at the @msoa_fineart degree show, methinks. Esp enjoyed some good painting. My partic fave things were Georgina Lingard's sculpural constructions, Iona Ford's gothy, white, kitcheny installation with video - beautiful - , Rio Darwin's ceramic sculptures, and Cain Casson and Jay Dahler's paintings. The latter gave out quite a retro Jock McFadyen vibe. Cain's 'Witch Gives Everyone A Cough' painting was v up my street. Anyway, pics are (I hope) of stuff by: @elliehillart / @georgina.lingard / @whatsionadoing / @_riodarwin / #jaydahler / @caincasson / @kitkingartist & @studiocassjones / @ruby_eden_art / @maryloulawlessgill / @roisinmollyart / @daisyfultonart / #jessicamclaughlin / #kaveenashprabagaran / #hamishpaterson / @tullybolt / #katyaragan / @esmeballardstudio / #erinnorcross / @artworkbyafay / @tommasomarsoni_art / @melanielarcombe / @ladybug.girl222 #contemporaryart #manchesterartists #degreeshows #contemporarypainting #contemporarysculpture #installationart

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