This multi-channel video installation from internationally-acclaimed photographer Emily Andersen, explores the work and life of Ruth Fainlight (b.1931) – an American-born poet and writer.
Ruth’s intensely visual poetry and fiction touch on themes of psychological and domestic situations, time, memory and loss. Born in New York City in 1931, she moved to England when she was 15. In 1959 she married the writer, Alan Sillitoe, and her many literary friendships included Sylvia Plath, Jane and Paul Bowles, and Robert Graves.
Andersen’s work is an intimate portrait of Fainlight, now aged 91, presenting fragments of the poet’s life. Taking inspiration from Renaissance triptychs and their depiction of different elements of the same subject across three panels, Somewhere Else Entirely captures the poet and writer at her home in London, making notes, on her walks, and in the seaside town of Brighton where she spent her teenage years.
In Somewhere Else Entirely Fainlight talks off-screen, revealing fascinating insights into her life, her creative process, and how she is ‘in the hands of the poem’. In her voiceover, she movingly recites her poem ‘Somewhere Else Entirely’ composed after the death of her husband.
Alongside the exhibition commissioned an essay by Daniella Schreir, editor of the Feminist Film Journal Another Gaze, which can be read here.
Portrait of Ruth Fainlight by Emily AndersenInstallation view of Emily Andersen Somewhere Else EntirelyInstallation view of Emily Andersen Somewhere Else EntirelyInstallation view of Emily Andersen Somewhere Else EntirelyInstallation view of Emily Andersen Somewhere Else EntirelyInstallation view of Emily Andersen Somewhere Else EntirelyInstallation view of Emily Andersen Somewhere Else EntirelyInstallation view of Emily Andersen Somewhere Else EntirelyInstallation view of Emily Andersen Somewhere Else EntirelyInstallation view of Emily Andersen Somewhere Else EntirelyInstallation view of Emily Andersen Somewhere Else Entirely
Portrait of Ruth Fainlight by Emily AndersenInstallation view of Emily Andersen Somewhere Else EntirelyInstallation view of Emily Andersen Somewhere Else EntirelyInstallation view of Emily Andersen Somewhere Else EntirelyInstallation view of Emily Andersen Somewhere Else EntirelyInstallation view of Emily Andersen Somewhere Else EntirelyInstallation view of Emily Andersen Somewhere Else EntirelyInstallation view of Emily Andersen Somewhere Else EntirelyInstallation view of Emily Andersen Somewhere Else EntirelyInstallation view of Emily Andersen Somewhere Else EntirelyInstallation view of Emily Andersen Somewhere Else Entirely
Launch event
Come along to our launch night on Friday 24 March, 6 pm – 8 pm for a first look round the exhibition, alongside Nottingham Women’s Centre in our Vitrines. There will also be free food from 6 pm. Book your free tickets
About the Film
Running time: 11 minutes
Alternate screenings are subtitled
Seating will be available
About the artist
Emily Andersen is a London-based artist and graduate of the Royal College of Art. Her work has been exhibited in galleries including:
BOOKMARC Gallery, Tokyo
LOWW Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
The Photographers’ Gallery, London
Institute of Contemporary Arts, London
Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa
Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham
Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art
Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
China Arts Museum, Shanghai
A number of her portraits are in the permanent collection of The National Portrait Gallery, London. She has won awards including the John Kobal prize for portraiture. Her third book Another Place was published in 2023. She is a Senior Lecturer in theory and practice of photography at the Nottingham School of Art & Design at Nottingham Trent University.
In January 2016 the Gallery was traced back to an open white space: a surface on which to draw and experience drawing.
Over the course of one month artists were invited to spend a period of time in the Gallery creating lines, marks and tones that explore and responding to the space through a variety of drawing processes. The exhibition celebrated the expanded field of contemporary drawing, including: paper, performance, moving image, installation, projections and three-dimensional drawing.
The month started with humhyphenhum (Deborah Harty & Phil Sawdon), who were the first to enter the white space; drawing with paper and moving image to create a three-dimensional drawing that traces in, on and through the surface of the empty white space.
Lorraine Young and Catherine Bertola followed, spending two days and three days respectively on the developing drawing. The third week saw contributions from Joe Graham, Andrew Pepper and Martin Lewis.
John Court was the final invited artist to enter the space, spending three days drawing in the Gallery.
Finally, humhyphenhum returned to the space to complete the drawing and prepare for a closing night celebration on Thursday 11 February, where visitors could view the final collaborative drawing.
Performing Drawology was curated by humhyphenhum and forms part of the ongoing research project by Deborah Harty entitled Drawing is Phenomenology.
In addition to the residency, informal discussions with the artists, student workshops and outreach events also took place.
Developments in the space were recorded throughout the process on our blog.
Artist residency date and discussion events
Vantage were made available in the Gallery throughout the exhibition to encourage visitors to witness and engage with the work as it continuously unfolded and took form.
The artists welcomed responses from the public and designated specific discussion events when visitors were invited to meet the artists and to pose any questions they had about the work taking place. Below is a record of when these sessions took place:
The exhibition culminated in a closing event on Thursday 11 February from 5 pm – 8 pm, whereby the public were invited to come and see the outcomes of the show as a final staged exhibition.
Drawing on the inspiration of others…
Bonington Gallery Atrium
Alongside the closing event we also hosted an exhibition by 400 students from Architecture and Interior Architecture at Nottingham Trent University and West Bridgford Infant School, who participated in a series of collaborative drawing workshops during the course of Performing Drawology.
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Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.Installation view. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mike Kane.
Ahead of the preview of All Men By Nature Desire To Know next Thursday, check out some install shots for a sneak peek at the new work in the show.
Delicate install by Ollie of a new carpet installation work from Audrey ReynoldsTrainer details (Joshua Lockwood) on Audrey Reynolds’ installation workTom moving a new painting from Stefania BatoevaTom and Joshua having a discussion in the Gallery, with new works by Stefania Batoeva in the backgroundDetails of paintings by Stefania Batoeva
Details of paintings by Stefania BatoevaSneak peek of work by Flora KleinSneak peek of work by Flora KleinDetail from a work by Audrey ReynoldsWe recently had our lighting rig load tested, too.
Delicate install by Ollie of a new carpet installation work from Audrey ReynoldsTrainer details (Joshua Lockwood) on Audrey Reynolds’ installation workTom moving a new painting from Stefania BatoevaTom and Joshua having a discussion in the Gallery, with new works by Stefania Batoeva in the backgroundDetails of paintings by Stefania Batoeva
Details of paintings by Stefania BatoevaSneak peek of work by Flora KleinSneak peek of work by Flora KleinDetail from a work by Audrey ReynoldsWe recently had our lighting rig load tested, too.
