A new video work created by artist Carolyn Thompson, one of the Dover Art Prize 2021 winners, titled ‘This, of course, is all speculation’, which runs for 20 minutes, can be accessed via scanning a QR code on display panels at The Head of Steam railway museum and in Darlington Library’s Local Studies room currently, during standard opening hours.
Blurring sounds and stories from past and present-day Darlington, ‘This, of course, is all speculation’ is a 20-minute film created by artist Carolyn Thompson. It explores the lives of Thomas Wood, a 19th-century gilder, framer and gallery owner from Darlington, and his son, photographer Sydney H. Wood. The film is constructed from text extracted from newspaper articles of the time, spoken and written memories, descriptions of artwork and photography linked to the Wood family, and sound recordings taken in the vicinity of the various sites of Thomas and Sydney Wood’s shops. It examines the limitations and fallibility of historical storytelling and the assumptions we are forced to make when researching family histories. The project was made possible with a Dover Prize 2021 Creative Award from County Durham Community Foundation and Creative Darlington. Carolyn Thompson is a visual artist who was born in Darlington. Her artwork is about literature and place. She has exhibited widely in the UK and internationally and her work can be found in several public collections. She is also the great-great-granddaughter of Thomas Wood. www.carolynthompson.co.uk
