Almost Nothing But Blue Ground
Almost Nothing But Blue Ground is a performative lecture by artists Tom Pope and Matthew Benington. Weaving together storytelling, cyanotype prints, and archival discoveries, the lecture traces the life and legacy of Anna Atkins — the trailblazing botanist and photographer who published Cyanotypes of British Algae (1843), the first book to be photographically printed and illustrated.
Tom and Matthew’s research into Atkins' pioneering work unearthed themes of botany, land ownership, and the colonial roots of Victorian plant collecting.
Inspired by these discoveries, the artists undertook a weeklong walk from Atkins’ former home in Tonbridge to the coast of Hastings. Along the way, they created a new body of cyanotype photographs which are presented alongside their research in this performance.
Performance image, courtesy of the artists.
Meet the Artists
Tom Pope works in performance and photography. Play is at the core of his practice; it is both subject matter for his works but also embedded in how he utilises the photographic medium. In 2011 he won the Deutsche Bank Artist Award for the project Time Bound. Recent projects include One Square Club, at Frieze Art Fair Los Angeles, a performance work and the world’s most exclusive private members club; Art Workout an online exercise video and participatory performance commissioned for Frieze New York online; and Terminating Martin Parr, a live performance where he destroyed 17 Martin Parr photographs.
Matthew Benington is Senior Lecturer, running second year BA (Hons) Fine Art at Norwich University of the Arts, previously working at Kingston University as Stanley Picker Print Fellow. Matthew has a history of leading complex multi-partnered projects such as the series of “Unstable Monuments” exhibitions, workshops and residencies with young artists facing mental health challenges (2017-2021), culminating in UM Bristol, 2021, Magistrates Court and Jail, Bristol. He has displayed European diaspora focussed art work with the Saatchi Gallery, and has complex corten steel artworks situated within prominent sculpture parks.
Find out more about the artists and their research by following @almostnothingbutblueground on Instagram.
