In Isolation

Experimental Publishing

As a means of documenting my own thoughts and feelings surrounding Covid-19 I created a typo/graphic journal. Each day I produced a response to developing news, or thoughts and feelings emerging from the unprecedented circumstances.

An entry from the first volume of the 'In Isolation' journals. Day 14. On yellow paper in crude hand lettering it says 'over and over' over the top of a series of concentric circles.

A spread from In Isolation. Day 6: Blue skies, blossom and birdsong. black ink on blue paper. Day 7 Clear skies betray unease / its not if but when

A spread from In Isolation. Day 97: Stencilled in white ink on blue paper ' as I sat, I read, I saw an egret' blue ink splashes on top of the text. Day 98. 'The ground shifts' stencilled onto a pattern with straight edges of black, white and grey paper.

An entry from the first volume of the 'In Isolation' journals. Day 50. On yellow paper stencilled with the word "Keep" split into corners of a square shape with arrows running between the letters, and in the middle is the word "on".

An entry from the first volume of the 'In Isolation' journals. Day 86. The words "struggling to articulate" stencilled on white paper, and partially obscured by red and black thick pen marks.

An entry from the first volume of the 'In Isolation' journals. Day 87. On light green paper the words are stencilled "I stared at the cornflowers in the park, pretending to have a garden". with flowers crudely drawn in felt tip.

An entry from the first volume of the 'In Isolation' journals. Day 91. On an offcut of white paper (with 3 red lines) are the words stencilled "routine becomes ritual becomes routine".

An entry from the first volume of the 'In Isolation' journals. Day 98. Black white and grey paper cut into jagged shapes and overlaid, framed by yellow tape. With the words "the ground shifts" stencilled on top.

My approach to creating each entry centred around analogue tools and materials I had to hand including stencils, paper offcuts, stickers and rubber stamps.

An entry from the second volume of the 'In Isolation' journals. Day 144. Pink, blue and grey paper with shapes referring to cloud formations, overlaid and edged with pink tape. The word in the bottom corner read "pink sky gives way to grey"

An entry from the second volume of the 'In Isolation' journals. Day 145. on white paper, a rubber stamp of an eye in turquoise repeated across the page, with the words "wait and see" stencilled.

An entry from the second volume of the 'In Isolation' journals. Day 173. Blue paper cut up and stuck back together with blue tape - with a piece missing - and the words "clap for survival".

An entry from the second volume of the 'In Isolation' journals. Day 189. On blue paper in black ink are swirls that cover much of the page but not in the middle. Over the black ink, in white are the words "clouds lift, calm remains"

An entry from the second volume of the 'In Isolation' journals. Day 91. The words Urgent delay stencilled on white paper.

An entry from the second volume of the 'In Isolation' journals. Day 198. On light yellow paper are stencilled the words "even a walk in the sun can't cover the" with the word "chaos" stencilled very faintly underneath. Short strips of brightly coloured (orange, blue, green) tape over the top.

A spread from In Isolation. Day 32: Off white paper with a grid rubber stamped onto it. With the grid is stencilled'. Day 33. reduced to a subdivision of the screen'. Day 33 A treat is allowed occasionally, stencilled over the top of an image of a pizza, on yellow paper.

A spread from In Isolation. Day 41: stencilled onto the paper ' still the blossom falls'. Around the text are different sized circular stickers piled up to resemble falling blossom. Day 42. Light green paper with Green tape overlaid to resemble grass. Stencilled but visible under the tape is 'The now ritual bike ride'.

A spread from In Isolation. Day 62 white paper with a grid stamped on it, and circles of difference colours and sizes are drawn all over it. In the grid 'approximation of NHS rainbows passed' is stencilled. Day 63 On blue paper the words 'an overwhelming urge to paddle across' is stencilled in different type faces

A spread from In Isolation. Day 67: 'something must emerge' stencilled over a yellow and a grey circle on off white paper. Day 68: the text 'a short walk becomes a game of chess', laid out as if on a chess board.

A spread from In Isolation. Day 52: 'Stand here please' partially obscured by red tape and black ink indicating position to stand. On yellow paper. Day 53: 'Overlwhelmed by the thoughts of others, on pink paper with trails of circles going across the page.

An entry from the third volume of the 'In Isolation' journals. Day 257. A messy page with ink and tape obscuring text, but the words "open up: cautious and irreversible" are visible.

An entry from the third volume of the 'In Isolation' journals. Day 261. the words "thoughts of elsewhere" stencilled over the top of a mountainous pink shape with two blue circles connected by a line.

An entry from the third volume of the 'In Isolation' journals. Day 291. Off cuts of paper stuck together, with the words "Unlocking looms".

The project has run to 4 volumes (400 days), with the most recent seeing a format change using the size of the ubiquitous lateral flow tests as the canvas size. The project has been published as 4 books available in the shop.

Two entries from the fourth volume on 'In Isolation' which adopted the format of the ubiquitous lateral flow tests.

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