The Sunday Times
Katie Hallam, 38, visual artist, Edinburgh College of Art
Before lockdown I wanted to visualise what our technological devices would become in 100 million years’ time, fossilised, buried and extracted again. I had sourced large pieces of coal from the last remaining active quarry in Ayrshire and had planned to cast, sculpt, scale up and create ambitious installation pieces.
With no access to a studio or workshops, I adapted to using skills in digital photography and computer software to create virtual renderings of these sculptures in realistic environments. I immediately started to connect my work to the abandoned streets of Edinburgh.
Walking around the narrow cobbled streets of the city felt eerie, calm and atmospheric. I normally went out during the day and in the early evenings to photograph my locations, and I expect I will never get to experience the city as I have seen it lately, being so quiet. The light quality and weather in Scotland can be unpredictable, but this lent itself perfectly to my selection of locations — some of the sculptures I imagined to be hiding in shadows or appearing out of the mist on Arthur’s Seat.
My walks lasted a few hours at a time, and although I got puzzled looks as I stood in the middle of abandoned car parks and zebra crossings, it was amazing to explore the city without the normal hustle and bustle. My practice is predominantly photography-based, but the isolation brought about by Covid-19 has transformed the way I create work, how I see the city I live in and how I plan to create outdoor sculptural work and public art.
During lockdown I have been involved in digital artist residencies and livestreamed art events, designed a virtual art exhibition, sold work through the Artist Support Pledge and grown a broader network of support. I am especially grateful to New Blood Art, an online art company that introduces graduating artists to the art-buying public. Everyone has had to adapt extremely quickly, and this has opened new possibilities of working, collaborating and networking — that can only have a positive impact.