What happens when a visual artist nearly loses their sight?

Shock. A shapeless void. Cataracts causing hazy vision, detached retina, black clouds, swirling floaters, flashes like an old movie, all happening suddenly. No warning. Two eyes in one body giving a different view and feeding different information to the brain. The brain attempts to catch- up with the changes and make sense of the new way of seeing the world. Hallucinations...when our eyes lie to us.

How do we respond when what we believe is fundamental to our identity is under threat? When does a setback become a gift?

Setting out to consider these questions, the experience of seeing and not seeing becomes the central story of Thick Smoke.

This is the second collaboration by Barbara J Graham and Will Woods who began working together in 2024 after meeting at ‘a space’ Arches Studios in Southampton. Barbara has recently received an Arts Council Grant to develop her practice further and Will is completing an MA in curating. For Thick Smoke, Barbara paints on natural and artificial surfaces to unpack how the world can be simultaneously in and out of focus.

In response, Will’s film and soundscape echo the visual and psychological themes of these works.

This Spud experimental exhibition has provided an opportunity to share the experience of making work through this significant period.