September 2020, mid-pandemic: a university fresher found herself restless. Wanting to familiarise herself in her new city, she wanted to meet people and DO things. Raised in a village with little more than an annual panto and fireworks night, Leeds promised a rich and bustling array of events, communities and stories. These were evident – documented on aging posters – but their future felt out of reach: an uncertain tease. 

When lockdown eased, I somewhat took on the character of a flaneur – leisurely roaming around the city, observing and daydreaming. By conducting local research, positioning my posters in public spaces, and shooting in different locations, my artwork has taken on a social life of its own and become a force for exploring and connecting. I regard my pieces as anecdotes, diaries and conversation starters. 

At my best, I’m playful, romantic, nostalgic and sporadic. I enjoy blurring the lines of fiction and imagination, sometimes adding playfully invented details to my narratives, and combining vintage visuals with modern stories.  

‘Anecdoting’ is a love letter to the social and geographical world I find myself in – forever between home and university. Personal anecdotes – conversations, observations, memories and inner thoughts – become documented and dramatized in posters, films and poetry. Whatever works for that particular story. 

Instagram: @saffjarvisart
Email: saffjarvisart@gmail.com