Artist statement
I work with the elements of landscape (both natural and man-made), collecting, sorting, rearranging, making patterns that describe the relationship between myself and that place at a particular time. I am interested in exploring the workings of the elements upon a landscape, the shifting and changing of the land and the cycles of growth and decay. My concerns are to bring people into a closer, more observant relationship with their surroundings and to question the nature of those surroundings, as well as the concept of what is natural/what is man-made.
Influences
The primary inspirations for my work are the pattern and detail that combine to form a landscape, and the action of the elements upon them. Initially, Andy Goldsworthy was influential in the development of my site specific, ephemeral sculptures, and the use of the camera to record them, but I soon became more interested in Chris Drury because of the sense of narrative and the strong spiritual connection that emerges through his work with landscape. More recently I have been inspired by Michelle Stuart, an American artist who worked site specifically in the US and the 70s, rubbing earth into long sheets of linen-backed paper; also Eva Hesse for her unorthodox use of "soft" materials to describe a powerful inner journey. I have also been inspired by Tom Friedman's deconstruction and manipulation of everyday materials, elevating them from the mundane to the spiritual.
Career path
My art work developed through involvement with a series of small artists' groups which aimed to share and support each other's creative processes. Each group became a focus for an exhibition, and acted as a forum for the exchange of ideas, materials and ways of working. I did a course on papermaking with Mandy Richardson, who specialises in making paper from plants. Since then my work has developed through collaborations with other artists on projects and joint exhibitions, visiting galleries and private study. At present I make my living largely from residencies, many involving schools, and by creating projects which interest and challenge me, and finding funding for them. Because much of my work is ephemeral, my income from sales is limited.
Solo exhibitions
- 2007 Stars Stones and Bones, Salthouse Church, North Norfolk Coast (more info)
- 2004 Sea Sky and Stone: with Margie Britz, The Estate Barn, Blickling Hall, Norfolk
- 1998 Seachanges, with John Richter, Kings Lynn Arts Centre, Kings Lynn
- 1993 The shifting form, Kings Lynn Arts Centre, Norfolk
- 1992 Moments of growth, The King of Hearts Arts Centre, Norwich
Group exhibitions
- 2005 Salthouse 05: site specific sculpture exploring the wind around Salthouse Church Tower, grant aided by Arts Council England, Salthouse Church, Norfolk
- 2004 Eastern Open, Kings Lynn Arts Centre, Norfolk
- 2002 Paper Works, Touring exhibition, Creative Arts East
- 2001 Down to Earth, Salthouse Church, Norfolk
- 1999 Symbiosis Sculpture Trail, Bergh Apton, Norfolk
- 1998 The nature of paper, Woolaton Park, Nottingham
- 1997 Borrowed from nature II, John Innes Centre, Norwich
- 1996 Hebden Bridge Sculpture Trail, Hebden Bridge
Curated projects
- 2005 Salthouse 05, Salthouse Church, North Norfolk coast (more info)
Residencies
- 2003 Junk Culture: Workshops with four schools to create indoor, site specific paper installations of sculpture and words using materials recycled by the schools, St Joseph's College, Ipswich, Suffolk
- 2002 Earthwords Residency (more info)
Public commissions
- 2004 Sculpting Summer: Lead Artist, overseeing and participating in temporary sculpture trail, South Norfolk District Council, The Southern Broads
- 2004 A Norfol Songline: 6 temporary sculpures, 2 guided walks, 10 performances, The Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path National Trail, The Peddars Way and Arts Centres in East Anglia
Projects
- 2005 Wheels of Change: working with Norfolk Arts in Education Service, Waste Management Services and schools to design posters on waste for display on local buses, 7 Secondary Schools, Norfolk
Other
- 2006 Artlandish, Houghton Hall, Norfolk (more info)
Personal website
