view from the back : journal of a surf trip
kathryn welford at electric angel

installation: june 11-13 and 18-19 as part of open studios
private view june 25 5-7pm
open weekdays from june 28

view from the back.info

send me your writing
kathryn is looking for responses to her photographs and blog for use in the exhibition. respond on the blog fill in a postcard or email the gallery.

recent exhibitions:

graham rhodes at electric angel




malcolm macdonald at electric angel




rachel welford: new works in architectural glass




View from the back : Journal of a Surf Trip

blog: viewfromtheback.info

In 2005 Kathryn went on a 6-month trip around the coasts of Spain, Portugal, France and Morocco where learning to surf seemed inevitable. During her trip she made a diary, which included writing, paintings and collages. Along with all the photographs she took, these visual and written records have inspired her to produce new paintings for the exhibition ‘View from the Back: Journal of a Surf Trip’.



As an artist, Kathryn is interested in the implicit stories that images tell. It might not be a story in the linear sense, but an image can leave us to wonder at the importance of a particular scene, the relationship between characters, whose experience is being told and why. An image can take us into a story, and provide us with a means of experiencing it. "I’ve tried to re-create the still heat of an afternoon or the cold weight of sea-water. I would like these paintings to be about experience rather than specifically about my trip, or what happened when."



"My ‘surf trip’ diary has allowed me to re-live the trip, day by day and cherish the detail."

"Hopefully like well-crafted writing, my paintings re-create a moment, a detail and makes the experience real again."

Send me your writing

I’m interested in how writing can inspire art and art inspire writing. Also how writing can become part of the painting I’d like to receive bits of writing from anyone it can be one word, a phrase, a poem or piece of prose, but no more than 50 words please. I’d like the writing to be in response to photographs of the surf trip or images of my paintings posted on this blog. But feel free to write about anything related to ‘View from the Back’, whether it be surfing, travel, the landscape. Just post your writings on the blog as comments or as emails.

Alternatively you can put your writing on a ‘View from the Back’ postcard which you may have come across. Use the picture on the postcard as inspiration for a piece of writing and send it to the Gallery.

My intention is to make new paintings which are either inspired by your writings or incorporate your writing into the painting. ‘View from the Back’ is therefore just a starting point.

I will be creating new work at the Electric Angel Gallery, using some of the writings sent in, during North Yorkshire Open Studios on Saturday 11th & Sunday 12th June and Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th June.

Kathryn Welford