From the Project 57.5704°N 7.2812°W // ROOTED
Introducing Nyree Troughton, Scotland Collagist
/DRI:M/SPACE is pleased to spotlight Nyree Troughton aka Hi It’s Ny. Nyree was awarded a Spotlight feature for the International Women's Day open call "Don't Run from the Fire" for her collage "Stay in your Lane".
Nyree writes, "A current project I’m working on is titled 'Conflicting Messages (Things Women Are Told)', which includes a set of six postcards available to buy from my online shop. These collages are a playful exploration of female identity and a visual response to messages women are bombarded with through our society and media. When I saw the /DRI:M/SPACE open call “Don’t Run from the Fire” I thought my collages fit perfectly with the theme of investigating the female gaze! The open call was fantastic timing as I launched my postcards on International Women’s Day 2021, when the open call started."
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Top Panel - From the Series: Conflicting Messages (Things Women Are Told), 2021
Bottom Panel - Assorted Analogue Collages
Troughton is a collage artist and Fashion Communication graduate living and working in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. She creates mixed media art that explores feminism, gender roles, contemporary culture and society. By combining vintage and modern imagery, she creates a unique aesthetic and visual commentary on the world around us. She sources material from a variety of vintage magazines to contemporary fashion magazines, and sometimes incorporates found materials and paint in her work. Ny is deeply inspired by the artists Barbara Kruger, Cindy Sherman and Linder Sterling. Through researching their work at university she was inspired to develop her own style of collage and visual imagery, pushing this during her final year at university where she won one of the Textile Collection Bernat Klein Awards for creativity from graduating students in the School of Textiles and Design, Heriot Watt University. Ny’s final year university project was selected to be shown at Graduate Fashion Week in London.
She has been featured in UK-based zines and her work was selected for the Uist Art Association Winter Open Exhibition 2020. You can find out more about the exhibition of small works and purchase Nyree's framed collages here.
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Nyree in her Studio & Process Pics
I took a deep dive into Nyree's diverse portfolio and was blown away. Her cut&paste works are uninhibitedly bold and she mixes the digital with analogue effortlessly. Her work covers a wide range of themes from gender equality to social media addiction and its effects on mental health. Nyree is an artist who creates with intention and doesn't shy away from provocative themes.
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Collages from Is This a Tragedy or a Comedy?, 2019
Her project "57.5704°N 7.2812°W // ROOTED" had me longing for a place I could call home with its gorgeously layered narratives using Hebridean Archive Imagery, family photos, text, and a model posed amid various locations on the isle. Nyree writes, "The publication is an experimental art and fashion book, inspired by my home on the Isle of North Uist in the Outer Hebrides. The concept that as a creative community we share, reuse and reinvent is what underpins many aspects of island life. Clothes are to be worn, ruined and lived in. The publication is a celebratory statement of the impact of our roots, of creative community, and of identity."
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Collages from the Project 57.5704°N 7.2812°W // ROOTED, 2019
One particular caption on upcycling and repurposing stands out as it draws a parallel to collage making—collagists relish the discarded and are always looking for innovative ways to reuse ephemera. For the project Nyree interviewed islanders, one of whom said, "This is part of the heritage, there's always been a necessity to make things out of what's available. Think of an old dwelling, once you notice one you start to see them everywhere, gradually sinking into the ground and disappearing. They might have been previously used as byres, after that they might be renovated and turned into a trendy place to stay. So there's a sort of recycling and repurposing that can happen. Gates that are made out of rusting bedsteads or bathtubs that are used as water troughs for the animals. Things are reused and people use what's available. I think that runs right through the community without you realizing it. If something breaks you don't go out and get another one you start to think of ways to mend it and remake it." Preach!
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Collaged Fashion Shoot for 57.5704°N 7.2812°W // ROOTED, 2019
Nyree's submission(s) to the open call stood out for her incisive interpretation on the theme of pushing back against the patriarchy. I'm so grateful Nyree responded to the call—had she not, I may not have discovered her work! Be sure to check out Nyree's links below to learn more about the artist and her projects. She is open for commissions & collaborations, so reach out if you want to work with her. Nyree's a talented artist creating fresh work with a commitment to equality, justice, and health and well-being in contemporary culture and society. One look at her Linktree pretty much sums it up! So while you are perusing Nyree's art head over to her Linktree and get involved.
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From the Project Is This a Tragedy or a Comedy?, 2019 / Nyree's Linktree / This Damaged Lifestyle, 2019
Q&A with the Artist:
/DRI:M/ARTZ: Art is an extension of its creator. What has influenced your journey as an artist?
Nyree Troughton: I completely agree! I have always been drawn to imagery and influenced by it, especially juxtaposing/clashing imagery. I feel experimenting with collage and mixed media is my way of exploring image making and manipulation and collage is absolutely part of my own inner world! I've been influenced by my home in North Uist and what a unique perspective it has given me. I'm constantly influenced by artists and exhibitions I've seen, and I'm always inspired by how artists are pushing themselves to explore new ideas and respond to the world around them.
DA: You come from a small island community in Scotland. Like other rural communities, people (especially the young) flee to the cities for more opportunities. What are your thoughts on this exodus? Are you ambivalent about what the simple life has to offer? Do you see yourself settling permanently on the island?
NT: I am often ambivalent about this topic, as I agree many young people do move to seek opportunities elsewhere, often in larger cities. I did so myself and I loved the experience and opportunities that came with it. I think it's brilliant that young people want to experience further education and travel—depending on what career path you choose your only option may be to move away to study/progress in that field. However, I think this is difficult for many young people who want to stay on the islands but don't have the resources and opportunities. I love my home and I think many island communities have so much potential for growth, but there is a lack of opportunities for young people. Although, I do think post-Covid, so many people will be re-evaluating their hectic lives and looking for a slower way of life, which the islands can definitely offer. There is a fantastic creative network on the islands, so in terms of visual arts it's an inspiring place to be and has potential for a lot of opportunities for younger people. I am definitely a mix of a city person and island person, and although I'll be moving back to the city later this year, I could see myself moving back to North Uist later in life if the opportunities were there. I have a few ideas up my sleeve, so we'll see what happens!
DA: What can your fans look forward to in 2021 and beyond?
NT: I'm hoping to push Hi It's Ny this year and continue to experiment with mixed media, so keep an eye on my website and socials for updates! I will be taking part in various Tea Green art events as a member through the summer and beyond (online and hopefully in person—Covid permitting) and participating in Kolaj Magazine's World Collage Day in May, which will hopefully encourage more people to experiment with art!
Check out Nyree's tune recommendation "O.N.E." performed by the psych rockers King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. The trippy video is a collagists dream with its cutup imagery and stop-motion edits. Enjoy!
Portfolio | Nyree Troughton
Instagram | _hiitsny_
Facebook | hiitsny
Shop | madebyhiitsny