Ryan Convery-Moroney Guest Blog: Confluence
Image by Ryan Convery-Moroney
Throughout autumn of 2023, MAYK have been working on Confluence; an exciting new residency commissioned by Ginkgo Projects exploring Bristol’s changing city centre. Culminating in a weekend programme of film, photography, live performance and installation 1-3 December, Confluence has been the collaborative effort of four fantastic artists, one of whom is Ryan Convery-Moroney.
Ryan is a Bristol-based portrait and documentary photographer working with still and moving imagery. The foundation of his practice stems from an inherent connection to space and urban planning. He is interested in social structure, psychogeography, spatial practices and the multifaceted use of space. Particularly, Convery-Moroney is interested in understanding how we observe, feel, act and behave accordingly to space due to our individual or collective knowledge, intentions and interests.
He was first drawn to photography through riding BMX where he also developed an appreciation of concrete, urban space and architecture. He went on to study photography at Portsmouth and has since relocated to Bristol. Ryan was Artist in Residence with MAYK in 2021-22.
For the blog, we did a quick artist profile on Ryan and spoke about his project, currently untitled.
Of course, Bristol is the over-arching inspiration for this project, but what inspired the specific theme of space for your track?
For me, the motivation stemmed from a desire to generate discourse and creative work related to public space—its design, perception, observation, and utilization. Specifically, I aim to explore the reimagination of public spaces beyond their basic functionalities and mere existence. Activation of space serves as the primary inspiration for my focus. Employing urban performative practices rooted in the built environment has given rise to urban cultures that involve appropriating space and architecture, which forms the core of my exploration.
What memories do you have of the city centre that have influenced your creative perspective on this project?
At the Bristol cenotaph, smooth concrete slabs transform an otherwise unremarkable, non-place area into a social hub and training plaza for skaters and riders. Notably, ongoing tensions exist between these communities and the council. Seeking to control what they deem as undesirable behaviour, the council invested in discreet yet hostile skate stoppers around the square. Engineered to 'bite' into skate wheels and halt movement abruptly, these stoppers aim to throw skaters off their boards. Despite the council's efforts to regulate and control the space, the unintended consequence has been an upsurge in creativity among skaters navigating the area.
What three words best describe your track?
Space, Play and Appropriation
Can you remember the first time you were inspired by art or an artist in Bristol?
The first time I felt truly inspired by an artist within Bristol was when I encountered the work of Martin Parr. His captivating photographs of the everyday. He has a unique ability to find beauty and significance in the seemingly ordinary moments of life. Transforming overlooked mundane scenes into powerful narratives, revealing the essence of the human experience.
What is your favourite view in Bristol?
Perhaps controversially, Turbo Island stands out as a landmark to me for its quirkiness, everyday surprises, and constant activity. Whether day or night, there's always something happening, making it a vibrant hub of energy