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Anna-Marie Gallares
University of Sunderland
Degree Show 2023: A Year In My Life
One of the significant turning points in my life was when I moved from the Philippines to England. From my seven-year-old self‘s point of view, my first year in England was filled with positive emotions of curiosity, wonder and excitement. However, it also had a fair share of negative memories, such as struggling to fit in, not understanding or speaking English and unfamiliarity with everyday life. 'A Year In My Life' is a year of my story; I choose to tell it through a painted tapestry. Filled with traditional Filipino indigenous tattoos, patterns and elements from my primary childhood photographs.
Size: 4.5ft x 18ft
Material: Acrylic paint, oil pastel on canvas
Solo Show 2022: Stolen
'Stolen' highlights an issue locally at Blakelaw, Newcastle. The construction of a new football/sports hub in Blakelaw Park disregarded the voice of local young people to achieve its aims and resulted in the demolition of their skatepark. There was an acknowledgement that the build would generally be a good thing for Blakelaw. However, the facts speak for themselves on how the matter has been handled. The young people who wanted the skatepark to remain have lost. This issue in Blakelaw Park has been discussed since 2019. However, the physical demolition of the skatepark and playground began in January 2022 with the construction of the sports hub.
Stolen treasures
Sculpture – Painted wooden blocks with lino design prints + braided net displayed on a table.
The coloured blocks represent everything that is important and holds value to the young people in the community. I invite the audience to take a block. I contributed designs that young people created. I worked with young people to develop their tote bag designs to raise money for their Year 11 prom. These sessions took place around the same time as the start of constructing the sports hub in Blakelaw Park. I selected 8 designs from 8 different young people and took these designs and turned them into lino stamps. I stamped each coloured block with one design.
The net that I placed loosely hugs the pile of coloured blocks. This net tries to hold all the blocks but fails as it was purposely made to have larger net holes. The large holes make it easier for the audience to take a block from the pile. This makes the net ironic as the nets are made to keep items safe, but this net allows the audience to grab through and get the block.
Currently at Blakelaw...
Five A1 Grayscale photographs – Edited on Photoshop + Newspaper Article + Quotes from young people with Posca pens on acetate
I visited Blakelaw Park in mid-March 2022 to see how the park has changed since its construction in January 2022. I took pictures to show what was taken, including the skatepark and playground. Part of the park was closed off to the public as they started constructing metal foundations.
I choose five photographs to edit. I edited the pictures to grayscale (taking the colour away), miming the idea of the council taking away the community park. Changing the photograph into grayscale highlights the quotes in bright colours of pastel red and yellow (written with Posca pens on acetate). I included the thoughts and opinions of the young people who consistently used the park, their experiences, and what they will miss. I matched the quote to the picture.
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Photo 1 – A metal fence and sign to stop people from entering the construction area. The metal foundations of the construction can be seen in the background.
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Newspaper article – Citylife - Your council magazine, Spring 2022, Page 7.
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Photo 2 – This was the placement of the skatepark, which is now a pile of dirt. This view faces the construction site.
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Photo 3 – Close up of the construction site.
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Photo 4 – The foundation of metal support beams at the construction of the sports hub.
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Photo 5 – This was the placement of the playground. A complete set of swings and slides were here. This view faces away from the park.
Timeless Skatepark
Digital GIF - Edited photograph, Photoshop and Wacom tablet
The photo base is a primary image of the skatepark. It is a photograph of an empty field with a plot of dirt where the skatepark used to be. This piece of the park was a recurring topic with the young people, as it was their usual “hang-out spot” for years. They would come to the skatepark with bikes and scooters to socialise with the young people in the local community. Without this skatepark, where will the young people go?
I digitally drew 17 frames using a Wacom tablet; each frame shows the Skatepark gradually building, showing what the skatepark used to look like before the demolition. I contributed a quote by a young person who often used the skatepark, stating, "It’s the best in Blakelaw”, highlighting its importance to the community's young people. The GIF plays forwards to build the skatepark and rewinds to see the skatepark back to just a pile of dirt forever in a loop.
“How does it feel to lose?”
Reused Fence painted white – Projector, Nails, Red yarn, Posca Pens and Acrylic paint.
Write down your feelings of loss.
The experience of something important is taken away from you for others’ gain.
Negative emotions turned into harsh acceptance.
“How does it feel to lose?”
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Games
I chose the three games of Snakes and Ladders, 3InARow and Checkers. These games rotated during the week of the exhibition. All ages can participate as the games included are playable for all ages.
First-year Class Exhibition 2021: My Family Portrait
My identity is a fusion of both Filipino and British cultures. Moving to the UK from the Philippines in 2008, I grew up in British society. Growing up as an immigrant, my Filipino identity was solely linked to my family and the culture my parents passed on to me and my sister. Showcasing my family to shine our Filipino pride and our family struggle of choosing to move to a different country for a better life. Using a photo that every family takes in their time, a family portrait.
Materials: Acrylic paint, oil pastel and Posco pens
Size: 146cm by 178cm
