NAVC 2022 Third Place

Cathy Fordham CPAGB/AV

Snail Mail

Imagine someone writing to David Hockney asking if they can paint in his style to make an AV and he says “yes”. Then imagine a sort of friendship that springs up between these two people as they write to each other via the old “snail mail” method. Well, that’s what I did, I imagined that friendship and had a lot of fun with it. It also conveniently provided a vehicle to use the song I had received in the Exmouth Music Swap. Each member in the AV group sends a piece of music or song in and then they are given one back to use in an AV. I received “Blue Red And Grey” sung by Pete Townshend of The Who. I hadn’t heard it before and loved its quirkiness. A quirky song deserved a quirky treatment and that became my aim.

Before long, two characters were evolving via the use of two different styles of handwriting and the “envelopes” they used. David Hockney’s envelopes had the pattern of his cap as the background and the female had oral linen. He was based in Bridlington, Yorkshire (as he had been in real life). She resided in

South Gloucestershire. I was aiming for difference between Northerners and Southerners. He had seagulls as background noise as he “wrote” and she had blackbirds.

Music next: Playing in the background of his letters were ukulele and brass bands of the north and for her, classical music and opera. I wanted this to be fun so make no apologies for stereotyping.

Then there were the stamps, the “his” and “hers” ones that were an indication of where they lived. He had seaside related images, she, owers. Let’s not mention the stamp from across the channel though, ( lest it spark an international incident). Old brooches were used for all of the stamps. Some I already had, others were sourced on Ebay or in charity shops.

I found myself looking at Hockney’s paintings of Sledmere, The Wolds, Garrowby Hill etc, all places near to where I lived my teenage years so school memories of that time crept into the AV. Gradually a story was evolving. However, I still did not have a placement for the song from the music swap and no real ending

Sometimes you are handed something out of the blue that is too good to believe and that happened to me the day I found a photo online of David wearing a stylish coat and scarf. I have always loved the way he dresses and sat wondering why someone hadn’t asked him to adjust the scarf before the photo was taken but here’s the thing I was in my kitchen and my tea towels are red and white just like his scarf. That photo was begging to be used and who was I to refuse? Gradually an idea formulated for the end of the AV.

And the song from the music swap? I put it near the end.

I preceded it with the sound of a champagne cork popping (such a joyous and celebratory noise). That in turn is followed by my music swap song. It’s jolly and I tted it to images of his work. My favourites are the images of rain hitting water and the way he depicts the ripples…….. Oh, and the reections on water.

So there you have it: The idea(s) behind, and the making of “ Snail Mail ”.