Q+A With Abby Poulson
We’re delighted to welcome Abby Poulson to the Oriel Myrddin Gallery team! Abby is an accomplished photographer, with a passion for connecting with communities and exploring the landscapes of Wales. Having worked with us previously on Criw Celf, Abby brings creativity, experience, and enthusiasm to her new role in community outreach.
Portrait by Mohamed Hassan
Croeso i’r tîm Abby! We’re so excited to have you join us! Can you start by telling us a little about your background as a photographer and what first inspired you to pursue this art form?
Diolch yn fawr! When I was around 12 years old, I started getting bored on our family walks, but I wasn’t allowed to stay home alone yet. My mum had recently been given my Grandad’s old dslr camera and she wanted to start using the camera instead of her little point and shoot one, but it had been sitting in the house unused for a while. To make me happier on our walks I was given the camera to try and became obsessed with taking photographs. My family nicknamed me ‘wandering Abby’ because they would turn around and check where I’d gone, and I’d be meters away crouching down and photographing some plant, happy in my little bubble. When I was a teenager, I started posting images on an account called ‘wandering abby’ and loved being part of the online local photo community and showing off the amazing landscapes of Wales. In school, I was very crafty and enjoyed trying out all art forms. My art teacher and my family always encouraged me to keep creating and trying, and I would hide at the back of the art class in any free time I had and work on my art pieces. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be when I grew up and felt very confused during my A Levels. My art teacher told me about Carmarthen School of Art, and the Art Foundation course they offer there. During this course I would have the year to explore even more art mediums and then be able to choose something to specialise in. So, after my A Levels I gave that a go. For the first time, I had lots of photography workshops and started seeing that photography could be more than clicking a button. I’d discovered what a 35mm camera was, made prints in the dark room, saw big photography exhibitions in London, and learnt that I could even do a degree in Photography. This was all new and mind-blowing knowledge to me. I then went on to study Photography in the Arts at Swansea College of Art and graduated in 2020, and the rest is history.
You’ve worked with us before on Criw Celf, helping young people explore and connect with their creativity. What was that experience like for you? Do you have any memorable moments from the project?
It was an amazing experience, and it felt special to be able to connect with the very talented young people of Carmarthenshire. I was fortunate to take part in Criw Celf when I was younger, so I felt privileged to be able to facilitate that experience for the future artists. My memorable moments include pushing a wheelbarrow of art materials around the fields so that the young artists could observe and draw and fuelling them with cups of hot chocolate throughout the day. My favourite part about the programme was being able to see their confidence and ambition grow through the monthly sessions, and that we’d all worked together to create a happy and safe place for experimenting. It was an honour to facilitate.
Criw Celf 2023 with Lauren Heckler at The John Burns Foundation, Kidwelly | Photographer Heather Birnie
You’ve been busy over the past year traveling in Australia, how has that adventure shaped you and your perspective as an artist?
I spent a lot of time in hot, deserted bushlands in the Kimberley’s, Northwestern Australia, which is a major contrast to the landscape and climate here. I was heavily inspired by the indigenous communities that lived in the remote regions of Australia, and how they used art to communicate their stories and perspectives of the land. Even in the middle of nowhere, the community would still have an arts centre. There was a strong connection between the land, wildlife, spirits and existence and the importance of sharing that which reminded me of the art I’d seen produced in Wales. I loved visiting the galleries that supported these communities and seeing such a huge variety of painting styles and crafts that was being produced. From experiencing the land in the Kimberley’s, I was also able to understand the places the paintings and objects were depicting. During some days of my road trips, I would drive 8+ hours and not pass through a single town or village. It made me appreciate our pockets of communities and how near and connected we all are. There is so much diversity in Wales in terms of land, people and talent and it is something that should be celebrated and used.
Abby visiting Short Street Gallery, Broome, Australia
Now that you’re back in Wales, what excites you most about joining OM and taking on this new role in audience engagement?
I am most excited to connect with my local community as I feel it’s a rare opportunity to be able to get involved creatively with what’s on our doorstep as a young person. For many young people, we are often posed with the idea that we must move away and leave the country to be successful and happy. I love my area, land and culture and am looking forward to the prospect of being able to facilitate more creative spaces and opportunity for people in Carmarthenshire and sharing a bit of arty joy.
Criw Celf 2023
How do you see your background as a photographer helping to connect with and inspire the community we serve?
As a photographer we are encouraged to observe and see things differently and experiment with different ways of communicating our unique style and voice, all in the present moment. Sometimes we work alone with just our own voice, and other times we are working with others to fulfil their voices. I feel this is a good approach to see, connect and grow the creative potential of our communities, and connect with what’s already existing, and share the visions and ideas that are out there.
Minfordd © Abby Poulson
Coming home must feel special, what do you enjoy most about being back in Carmarthenshire and exploring the wilds of Wales again?
I am enjoying visiting the castles and walking up hills again. I have been out with my camera a couple of times, but my fingers keep getting very cold! Maybe I should’ve chosen to come home in the Spring…
Are there any local landscapes, traditions, or stories here that you find particularly inspiring for your work?
I am really inspired by stories about the land and its connection to the environment, whether that be mythical, historical or more contemporary. During lockdown I became obsessed with the limestone in Carmarthenshire and noticed that there was a ridge of limestone that went diagonally through the county. Growing up we heard so much about the coal industry, but I had never heard anything about the limestone that was quarried, and still is quarried here today. Some of these quarries have been made safer and are great nature reserves but are traditionally maybe not seen as ‘beautiful’ places to go for a walk. I began exploring them often with my camera, looking for traces of the past, but also recording the flora and fauna that existed there now. These places helped me to create some strange almost alien-like imagery of our local land, which opened my mind to new ideas.
Carmel, Carmarthenshire © Abby Poulson
What does creativity mean to you, and how do you bring it into your everyday life?
Creativity to me means being able to live and surround myself with objects, things, artists, writers, musicians, and places that inspire me and help me feel passionate about life. When I feel passionate and inspired, I then want to create, so it’s more about having creativity integrated into my way of life and thinking, and always being open to discovering new things.
What’s something about you that people might not expect to learn?
In 2022 I took part in a photography competition called ‘Yn Y Ffram’ which was aired on S4C. I didn’t win, but I was able to fulfil one of my childhood dreams of being a tv star and got to watch my first international Welsh rugby match whilst photographing the action on the pitch.
Thanks for taking the time to chat with us Abby – ti’n seren! Final question… as you begin this new chapter with us, is there anything you’d like to say to the community and our audience?
I’d like to say a big warm hello, and that I am excited to connect with you all. If you have any questions or anything you’d like to chat about my inbox is always open. Diolch yn fawr!
Abby is keen to reach out and connect with local groups and organisations to learn more about what’s happening in the community. If you’d like to get in touch or introduce yourself and your work, you can reach Abby at: APoulson@carmarthenshire.gov.uk