Down from London

Cyanotype experiments on paper and cloth push the boundaries between painting, printmaking and photography. The theme chosen is inspired by the growing section of the community described as “DFL’s”, Down-from-London. There is a long relationship between town and city, with many locals working in London, and recently a particularly high number of economic settlers, priced out of London, have settled locally. My study follows on from a series of portrait cyanotypes of local friends and visitors exhibited in November 2022 at Electro Studios Project Space as part of the Shadowlands show and reuses previous acetates in a philosophy of ‘Reuse and recycle’ to reduce the maker’s ecological footprint.

We are printmakers based at Montague Armstrong on 15 Kings Road, St Leonards-on-Sea and have become part of the everyday life of this market street. The St Leonards Warrior Square station is at the top of the road, and arrivals by train wheel their suitcases past our shop as they head for the sea, stopping for a cup of tea or coffee as part of their holiday experience. We observe those visitors and the local community through our curved window as we work. All of life is here, with its anxieties and struggles, punctuated by the presence of the local seagulls.

Montague Armstrong – Jude Montague and Matt Armstrong – is also the name of our band, and we make music and soundscapes with Hammond organs and other found or acquired vintage equipment.