The Little Things That Stick by Craig Atherton
This vibrant installation of 36 window vinyls for the Turnpike Centre was commissioned by The Turnpike Gallery and Leigh Library. Local artist Craig Atherton has taken inspiration from Wigan Council’s Drumcroon Art Collection, a much loved resource for local schools, and from his own memories of visiting the former Drumcroon Centre as a school boy. Those early creative experiences, he says, have stayed with him ever since. You can experience the legacy of the Drumcroon Collection and school loans scheme at the Turnpike Gallery, open Tuesday to Friday 10am–4pm and Saturdays 10am–2pm.
For this project Craig chose Patrick Heron from the collection as his starting point. After researching Heron’s work, he discovered how the artist often worked from memories and how his bold use of colour and shape resonated strongly with his own practice. Craig decided to look back at his own memories of the Turnpike, Leigh, the surrounding towns and his childhood. He wanted to approach the work in a completely different way to his usual process. Instead of planning everything in detail, he jumped straight into etching using only line drawings, capturing the rawness of his memories. From there he moved into monoprinting which allowed him to work quickly, focus on shapes and experiment without overthinking.
The 36 pieces in this installation each represent a different memory. Some are from time spent with his grandma, others from playing out in the surrounding towns, and some from his experiences in and around the Turnpike itself. They are a mix of deeply personal stories and shared local moments, captured through bold colour and playful shapes, just like the memories that inspired them.
You can read about the inspiration behind each piece in The Little Things That Stick book.