Suburban Utopia, An Infertile Place (SU4IP)
Lyndon Watkinson
Lyndon Watkinson (1999) is an artist, designer, writer, and musician based in Sheffield, UK. Democratising art and art context through artworks, publications, graphic design, articles, and sound. Creative director and founder of the online arts organisation SU4IP. His work is characterised by a desire for precision, often depicting aesthetics that celebrate and criticise the absurdity of corporatized identity, calling into question the necessity of creating false exteriors when what is not seen is often just as important.
In late 2020, a blog post entitled Suburban Utopia, An Infertile Place formed part of the wider inquiry and development of his practice for his bachelor's degree in fine art. As his work matured, he applied this term as a formalisation of his creative endeavours, later abbreviating it to SU4IP, now used as a digital alias and publishing entity.
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About
Digital Collage, 2023
A recreation of my beloved Venus Fly Trap, composed of pixels within a denomination of 2160, utilising gradients of colours derived from Wada Sanzo. This inert, patient, but deadly predator photosynthesizes in its own right, subsidising its nutrient intake from the bodies of unsuspecting insects.
Operating in a state of complete autarky, diversifying its means to survive, occupying otherwise treacherous conditions in the wetlands of North and South Carolina, contributing its iconic silhouette and flora to our ecosystem. This species reminds me that we have much to learn from the simplest of organisms.
︎ I believe that our capacity to repair the damage we have caused to our planet lies in ceding urban spaces back to nature, exercising gratitude for what we already have, and acting in the best interests of others, still working towards our own personal ambitions (even when no one is looking).
My work, Patient Predator, embodies these three principles: Firstly, making room for plants in my surrounding domestic environment allows me to live in harmony with aspects of nature in a space that would otherwise be devoid of plants or nonhuman animals.
Secondly, studying and recreating one of my own treasured possessions into an artwork provides me with a greater appreciation for what I have, as well as turning a singular object into an experience that multiple people will enjoy.
Finally, the act of pursuing my own creative interests, free of the burden of the impressions of others, provides me with gratification at minimal expense to individuals both near and far. These three virtues can be scaled from small endeavours (creating), all the way to preventing climate catastrophe.
My submission for the M&C Saatchigroup x Saatchi Gallery Art for Change Prize under the theme Regeneration.