It's been almost a decade since Adam Bridgland hosted his 'Happy All Smiles' exhibition at Peacock Visual Arts. At the time Adam's graphic screen printed works including affirmative posters depicting sheds with tag lines like 'My Dear, This Is All Our Beautiful Wasteland' felt fresh and contemporary but also held a sense of a slightly bygone age. A modern nostalgia. I met Adam at the opening and much like his work he was full of warmth and spoke to everyone on the night.
Since then I've been lucky to meet Adam on numerous occasions down in London where he's based in the Jealous studio in Shoreditch overseeing many of the incredible print projects the studio produces. The hustle and bustle of the big city does seem almost at odds with some of Adams work which laments nature and the quiet moments so its no suprise to learn he's actually based in Cambridgeshire along with his equally talented wife Lucy Gough. That's not to say that big city influences don't appear in his work, indeed one of his tag lines 'I need this wilderness for my heart to beat' feels just as poignant painted on a mountain scape postcard as it does overlaid with a photo of the Empire State Building in NYC.
In other works the viewer is asked to think about the city with fresh eyes, an old Super 8 Camera is encircled with the words 'Every Town Is Full Of Interest If You Train Yourself To Find It' feels like a mantra for the last 12 months as dreams of travel have been curtailed and indeed many have been forced to explore on their own doorsteps. But this is something I've always tried to do and still get a kick when I find a street or lane I haven't been down before. The vintage style tourist patches perfectly surmise the feeling of adventure to be had while themselves being a throwback to a different time with their depictions of analogue cameras and transportation. Where the 80's rockers wore their band patches with pride the modern Anglophile can let the world know that adventure awaits.
A lot of these works rely on strong bold lines and strong type but in recent years Adam has shifted tack and we've seen his own handwriting take centre stage as he explore new ideas and mediums. Vintage postcards, riso prints and polaroids have all become the base for new works with the tightness and controlled marks of screen printing replaced with a more organic and free approach. Even the application of primary colours on old photographs seem to tell a story and creates a bridge between the olden scenery and the aesthetics of the here now. Looking back at much of Adams work its clear to see his keen eye for the modern idea and its pairing with vintage imagery to create that nostalgic feel.
But its certainly not a trap that he's fallen into as with his colourful eye prints, one of which sits looking down at me as I type. Also his work with creative partner Danny Augustine feeds into his exploration of the screen printing medium whether its refining transparencies to create a new level of depth and texture or going rogue and painting directly onto the screen to create unique pieces as the duo have, the exploration and the journey always seems at the heart of Adams work. More recently he's taken his ideas off the page and into the 3D realm with special wood cut signs which allow his words to be juxtaposed with real life backdrops, whether they be in the wild wastelands of Suffolk or looking over the London skyline. The key is that wherever Adams work appears its instantly recognisable as being Adam Bridgland.
His instagram also gives a nice insight into his creative practice but also shows adventures with family and friends, music and its influence and an appreciation for his subject matter. All of these things have made Adam one of my favourite artists and although I mostly see his work through a phone screen its no less exciting. Be sure to check out more via Adams website here & instagram here. Of course I'd love to stumble across one of his signs in the Aberdeenshire countryside at some point but we can always hold out hope for the future and what it might bring. Indeed, Adam Bridglands art gives me hope!
