Artist statement
Tumim & Prendergast explore the concepts of our temporal existence and cast-off items we often ignore. Accident and chance also play a part alongside their characteristic humour (often dark). They offer us clues - to research further and of lives lived. (Art historian Lorna Johnston - www.artsbigpicture.com)
We are a research-led, collaborative practice and we use various forms to explore ideas relating to history, language and mortality, through embroidered, painted and drawn ephemera. Each work should beguile the eye of the viewer, the skills employed being integral to the concept behind each artwork. Many of our ideas develop "on the hoof", through the making process.
By drawing, embellishing or embroidering replicas of all these "throw-away" items as tenderly and lovingly as we can, we are paying tribute to those who have lost or discarded them – for whatever reason. Each item takes on a symbolic status that is part of a bigger picture. The ephemera that floats between all our lives is sometimes more emotionally charged and tells more of a story than the objects or formal portraits and momentos we expect to be represented by. Tumim & Prendergast 2011
Qualifications and training
- 1988 Post Graduate Fine Art - Painting, The Royal College of Art, London
- 1985 Fine Art Degree, Falmouth School of Art, Falmouth
Solo exhibitions
- 2011 RETRIEVE, Limousine Bull, Aberdeen
- 2009 Small Volumes (Showcase artists), Timespan, Helmsdale, North Scotland
- 2007 CONSEQUENCES, The Pier Arts Centre, Stromness, Orkney
- 2007 A Year of Consequence, The Orkney Museum, Kirkwall, Orkney
- 2006 COUPLING, The Peedie Gallery, Arts Development Office, Orkney Island Council (more info)
- 2005 WEDDED, Stromness Public Library, Stromness, Orkney
- 2004 FOUL FlORA, WEIRD WAVES, The Loft Gallery, St.Margaret's Hope, Orkney
Group exhibitions
- 2012 Embroidered Narratives, Bank Street Arts, Sheffield
- 2012 Bread & Roses, Motorcade Flash Parade, Bristol
- 2011 Open Windows, Stromness - a St Magnus Festival exhibition, J.B Rosey's drapery shop window
- 2011 73 LEAVES - an installation, the SSA annual exhibition, the Royal Scottish Academy, Princes Street, Edinburgh
- 2009 TRAVELLING LIGHT, WW and Pharos Galleries, London and Venice Biennale
- 2008 Last Post, Corsespace, Aberdeenshire
- 2007 SHRINE, UNTITLED visual artists group, Stromness
- 2007 CAMP, Churchill Barrier no.4., Orkney (more info)
Curated projects
- 2009 Open Call - "Impossible Exchange", Curators Fillipa Oliviera & Miguel Amado - Frieze Art Fair, London
- 2004 Wave, Studio Installation, Outertown, Stromness, Orkney (more info)
Live/Performance
- 2007 Celebration of Tumim Prendergast's Residency - musical response to 'Consequence' paintings, Papdale Primary School, St. Magnus Festival, The atrium of Papdale School, Kirkwall, Orkney (more info)
Artist talks
- 2010 Talk about our collaborative art practice - threads and leaves, Heriot Watt School of Textiles, Galashiels
- 2008 A walk around artists' talk, The Pier Arts Centre, Stromness, Orkney
- 2006 Presentation - "Professional Practice and Crossover", Highlands & Islands Visual Arts Gathering - Hi~Arts, The Macphail Centre, Ullapool
Residencies
- 2006 pARTners Artists in Residence - Scottish Arts Council, Papdale Primary School, Kirkwall Orkney
Private commissions
- 2007 "The Gallant Weaver" - choral settings of words by Robert Burns, CD cover artwork and design, To be widely distributed (see http://www.mayfield-singers.org/ for more details) (more info)
- 2005 "Constellation"- A drawing commission for 'Tullimentan' show case for the Arts in Orkney 2005, The Pier Arts Centre, Touring around Orkney
Public commissions
- 2012 Balfour Hospital and Peedie Sea Centre Art Commission, Appointed by Grampian Hospitals Arts Trust (GHAT), Orkney
- 2012 73 LEAVES, For permanent display at the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), Main entrance NCVO headquarters, Islington, London
- 2008 2nd Floor Lift Lobby, Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital (RACH) http://www.rach-art.org.uk/Tumimandprendergast.htm., A permanent installation created through collaboration with primary school children, patients and staff
- 2008 'Wallflowers' artworks project in the nursery courtyard, St. Margaret's Hope Primary School, South Ronaldsay, Orkney
- 2007 'Root', Papdale Primary School, Kirkwall Orkney
- 2006 Consequence - pARTners (Scottish Arts Council) commission - eight large site specific paintings, Papdale Primary School, Kirkwall, Orkney
Projects
- 2011 Inclusion of "Promise" in "Words are all we have", Rachel Marsden curator-researcher-writer http://rachelmarsdenwords.wordpress.com, Birmingham
- 2010 Axis project - Travelling Moleskine contributor to "Americana"- video 2011, Axis - http://www.axisweb.org/moleskine, Travelling/ Axis
Educational experience - early years
- 2008 Nursery Playground artwork project, St Margaret's Hope Primary School nursery playground, South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Educational experience - primary
- 2009 "Hippo Dreams of Camel Trekking in Morocco", Glaitness Primary School, Kirkwall, Orkney
- 2008 "Favourite Things" doodles and jigsaw artworks for RACH, Glaitness Primary School, Kirkwall, Orkney
- 2007 http://wm1.stv.tv/020507art.wmv, STV - North Tonight, Scotland (more info)
Educational experience - tertiary
- 2010 Art/ Science Vignettes - research, Heriot Watt School of Textiles, Gallashiels, Scotland
Publications
- 2011 Hoopla - The Art of Unexpected Embroidery by Leanne Prain. Tumim & Prendergast are featured and their "hippo traveller" used as cover image. http://www.unexpectedembroidery.com/
- 2009 Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital - Artworks 2 - a book celebrating the hospital's ongoing artwork programme
- 2008 Illustration of artwork in an Orkney Anthology of Poetry
Web links - gallery/work/projects
Web links - article/press
