Claire Mc Dermott
Mc Dermott's photography research influences her sculptures to envision a planet that shares and represents all cultures within a community. Her transdisciplinary thinking creates futuristic, and abstract plants and uses imaginary concepts to define her social and environmental concerns.
Mc Dermott graduated with an MA Art and Science from Central Saint Martins in 2020 and an MRes Art and Humanities from the Royal College of Art in 2023. Her thesis titled "Happenings, Sightings, and A Plumed Seed" explored Allan Kaprow's art happenings while comparing them to the same enlightenment of her field sightings and observations.
Mc Dermott is interested in biophysics; how a plumed seed mechanism functions and its interactions with our atmosphere as it floats. Inspired by nature, being aware of what forms the bigger picture, to look wider and think of the airborne motes and plastic particles that float with the plumed seed. Using this methodology, she uses transparent boundaries to hold the curiosity of a discovery with a recognition of reparative humanistic views.
She creates sculptures from her photography research and it was from her microscopic studies that she linked plant tissue such as the bristles of a plumed seed to resemble the transparency of glass. Prioritising sustainability she hopes that glass is favoured as a better alternative to plastic. Plastic degrades as soon as it is manufactured and microplastics can’t be recycled, which highlights the need to ban all non-biodegradable plastic. Her still-life photography looks to capture the deliberation of the spent flower to highlight a unique concealment of the delicate detail of its form.
Claire Mc Dermott
Claire McDermott is an international British artist who is based in London. Inspired by the glass and plants, she created sculpture and photography for her solo exhibition titled Translucent at Headstone Manor and Museum in 2024. She is currently developing these concepts at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, using bio-imaging to research the iridescence of plumed seeds, which also appears on ancient glass.
McDermott has exhibited at Tate Exchange, UCLH, Cooke Latham Gallery, Beaconsfield Gallery, South Park Galleries and the Safehouse 1 & 2. She has been awarded residencies with SLoAS, AA2A, Sculpture Symposium 2016 and Cill Rialaig Arts Centre, Ireland, where her microscopic illustrations are held in their collection. Her public sculpture titled The Meeting Tree is installed in Newton Farm Ecology Park, London. She was featured in Phi Magazine, The Pluralist, and the Earthwise book. She has received in-kind support from the Port of London Authority, Central Saint Martins, UAL and has received grants from The Eaton Fund, Gane Trust, UAL Student Union and the Arts Council England.
Education
2023 Masters Research, Art and Humanities | Royal College of Art
2020 MA Art and Science | Central Saint Martins, UAL
2012 Botanical illustration at The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
1996 HND in Historic Decorative Crafts. De Montford Uni, Lincoln
Solo Exhibitions:
2024 Translucent | Headstone Manor and Museum
2018 Illusion | Space2 Gallery, Watford Museum
2013 Persona | Curated by May Shetrit. The Gallery HAC, Harrow
2009 Evolving | Fovea Gallery, Harrow, London
Selected Group Exhibitions:
2024 Tribute | Safehouse, Peckham, Southwark
2024 Still Life | The Glasgow Gallery of Photography, Scotland
2024 Graduate Art Exhibition 2024 | Candid Arts Gallery, Islington
2024 Shortlisted for the RPS Benelux Chapter 2024 - Movement
2024 Art and Science & Creativity Book Art | Liverpool Central Library
2024 Extempore 24 | Tension Fin Art, Penge West, Bromley
2023 Annual Open Exhibition | Southwark Park, Rotherhithe
2023 Earthwise | Beaconsfield Contemporary Gallery, Vauxhall
2023 Inner Workings | WIP show RCA | Cooke and Latham Gallery, Wandsworth
2023 On The Edge | Royal Society of Sculptors | Espacio Gallery, Tower Hamlet
2022 What A Waste | Koppel Project | Holban, Camden
2021 Health Climate Ecological Emergency | UCLH & NHS, Camden
2021 FINALLY | MA Degree Show, delayed graduate show, Southwark
2020 Virtual MAAS Symposium | Central Saint Martins, Camden
2020 Virtual Graduate Showcase | Central Saint Martins, Camden
2019 Emergent | MA Art and Science Open Studios, Islington
2019 The Setting | SU Exhibition & Project Space with Maria Ribeiro, Camden
2019 Postgraduate Art Auction | Lethaby Gallery, Camden
2019 Made in Arts London (MiAL) at TM Lighting Gallery, Camden
2019 Studio-Lab of Art and Science | University of Westminster
2019 Interim Show | Apiary Studios, Tower Hamlet
2018 EmbryonicA | MAAS, Open Studios, Islington
2017 Artsdepot Open Exhibition | Shortlisted for 2017 award, Barnet
2015 The Independent Artist Fair | TIAF at The Rag Factory, Tower Hamlet
2015 RHS London Botanical Art Show | Vincent Square, Westminster
2015 RI Watercolour Competition, shortlisted | Mall Gallerie, Westminster
2014 Joint | with Johannes Von Stumm, North Wall Art Centre, Oxford
2014 The Independent Artist Fair | TIAF at The Rag Factory, Tower Hamlet
2014 Art and Science | Courtyard Arts Centre, Hertfordshire
Residencies and Field Trips
2025 Residency at the Jodrell Laboratories, , Kew, using bio-imaging
2019 CERN, Switzerland. Led to researching the physical aspects of plants
2019 Ecological field trip, JOYA: AiR, Spain. Inspiration for A Play with Light, Wardian Cases No1&2
2019 Studio-Lab Art and Science: University of Westminster, London
2016 Sculpture Symposium 2016, Copper bracts installation Riverhills Himalayan Gardens, Kent.
2015 Cill Rialaig Art Residency, Self-portrait in oil paints and installation photograph, Kerry, Ireland
2007 Kew Gardens field trip: researching the oak trees at Kew for The Meeting Tree commission
Awards, Events and Public Commission:
2023 Eaton fund | awarded funding for Solo exhibition
2022 Gane Trust | Awarded part funding for Extremity II
2020 SURGE and WEISS / UCL | shortlisted
2019 Made in Arts London (MiAL) | awarded representation
2019 Studio-Lab of Art and Science Symposium | Westminster Uni
2019 Tate Exchange | Awarded Student Union funding for Art Crit, Come Together, In A Time of Change | The Tate Exchange, SE1
2018 AA2A | one year residency at Art & Design Chelmsford College
2015 The Royal Horticultural Society | awarded a silver-gilt medal
2011 Arts Council England | Awarded funding for The Gallery HAC
2009 The Meeting Tree - commissioned for Newton Farm Ecology Park
Publications:
2025 Book titled I am Human, published by Wild Parlour for Glue's Book fair, ICA
2024 Haus-A-Rest issue 51 writers' corner art and science
2023 Thesis; Happenings, Sightings and a Plumed Seed
2023 Lazy Day | The pluralist’s, Geometric Gardens. RCA SU mag
2023 The Unseen & drawings. Earthwise book
2021 Phi Magazine Dream Issue Vol 8 P22
2021 Axis, New Art Highlight
2021 Made in Arts London (MiAL) | annual catalogue P30
2020 MA Art and Science at Central Saint Martins’ catalogue
2020 Made In Arts London(MiAL) 2020 catalogue
2017 ForumArts Sculpture Symposium 2016
2012 Culture; catalogue for the opening of The Gallery at HAC
2009 HVA catalogue by Winsor & Newton and Harrow Council
Artist talks:
2025 Observations: artist talk for Tickbird & Rhino at The Devereux
2024 Tuesday Talk at Headstone Manor and Museum as guest speaker
2017 The Sculpture Symposium Conference | Royal Society Sculptors
2017 Now what do we do | Art & Design Chelmsford College
2013 Persona | The Gallery HAC, Harrow, HA5
2013 To be Conceived | The Old Police Station, New Cross, London
2012 Culture | Jeff Lowe, Rob Ward, Jane McAdam Freud at HAC
2012 Enthusiasm or Ambition | HAC, Harrow
2011 Sculpture Network held at Jeff Lowe’s studios, London
Workshops
Art Crit - Come Together, In A Time of Change: workshops and debates at The Tate Exchange.
The Settings: Plants for Us – drawing plants at SU Exhibition & Project Space, Hoban
Emergent: Art and Science mould making workshops Open Studios, London
Draw Me In, drawing plants and bugs workshop at Space2 Gallery, Watford Museum
Chelmsford College: AA2A artist in residence -worked in front of the students/ helped when needed
Nature walk to Meeting Tree, Newton Farm Ecology Park; clay & plaster moulds at Beacon Centre
Curation
Artist curation of Macai Gallery Window: Jamaica Road, London
Art Crit - Come Together, Time of Change: The Tate Exchange
The Settings: With Maria Riberiro, SU Exhibition Space, UAL
Culture: Jeff Lowe, Rob Ward, Julian Wild, Jane McAdam Freud, Andrian Melka, at The Gallery, HAC
TwoGether, with Jane McAdam Freud, Gradidg Gallery
Art Harrow 08: The Elliot Hall, The Gallery, HAC, Harrow
Corn Exchange: with Guy Reid, Matthew L Sanderson, Daphne Gradidge
Volunteering:
Chairman of Art Grads alumni from Central Saint Martins
Chairman of the art group titled EXHIBIT.
Warden of Newton Farm Ecology Park, HA2. Recruit volunteers and organise work parties
Work currently held at Cill Rialaig Art Centre, Ireland
Public art: The Meeting Tree at Newton Farm Ecology Park
Membership: EXHIBIT, The Art Worker’s Guild and The Poetry Society
Helping Artists Keep Going
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