North West: Nostalgia – ‘A True Recreation’

Nostalgia?

Lost and Found. Well, childhood memories (for some).  Bits of ‘treasure’. Good times.  Landscapes transformed (‘it all just seemed a lot bigger back then’).  History scrubbed up and made presentable in Heritage’s ‘Sunday best’.

But I look it up anyway. Just for arguments sake. 

“Roots in an 18th century medical disorder... a diagnosis... terrible homesickness…Soldiers with “melancholy, universal weakness, noises in the ear, giddiness of the head…”. 

When did I only get half the story?  Are definitions always just slightly out of focus?

Somehow an idea disappeared inside itself; all footprints washed away in the sand. 

What direction did I come from?  I think I remember.

Retracing a Family’s Footsteps. This five month project looked to explore competing narratives of Nostalgia with people who have experienced mental health issues.  Aiming to challenge stigma and prejudice through the creative process, large scale ‘abstract’ canvasses have been produced in readiness for a Sept 07 exhibition in Stockport.  They re-present momentous events, family histories, referencing pop culture or reinterpreting local heritage.

"Abstract Art was a mystery to some in the group…..but once they realised that their pictures could contain a mystery, a home sickness…we found that those lost things could be retrieved and portrayed in our art work.  The "Nostalgia" project has been revealing and a true recreation.”

A Little Bit of Research Goes A Long Way… “…this project and our use of art as a therapy for the improvement of our mental health is of great value.  As a group we have discussed the subject of using art in the treatment of people suffering from mental health disorders and are convinced that its effect is incalculable.  In our group we care for each other and have grown close, as one member says 'like a family'.  We don't need to use our doctors, therapists etc. when we have our art to distract, delight and de-stress us."

Some Favourite Things Many thanks to Charlotte Brown (lead artist), Alex Barton from Stockport PCT’s ‘Arts on Prescription’ and ‘the Wednesday group!’ for a wonderful project.

 “We’ve much in mind
And though we're all different,
We're one of a kind…”