Highlights

Changing Landscape, 2025 by Ann Goddard

‘Changing Landscape’ is a wall based, sculptural mixed media relief. Its construction references the current quandary between environmental protection and the need for housing, as change of land use is one of the major threats to nature.  The ecological consequences of relentless urban development encroaching on the countryside leads to habitat loss causing declines in biodiversity and ecosystems.  

The artwork is included in the 62 Group of Textiles exhibition:

'Joy in the Detail'
Crafts Study Centre
University for the Creative Arts
Falkner Road, Farnham
Surrey, GU9 7DS

6th May - 6th September 2025

10am - 5pm Tuesday to Friday
10am - 4pm on Saturday.
Closed on Sunday and Monday. Entrance is free

The Sun Feeds the Wind, 2011 - 2025 by Mary Hooper

I approached Yasmin Ornsby at Hastings Fishermen’s Protection Society in 2011 to see if it would be possible to record conversations with fishermen as part of an artwork I was planning for an exhibition of Hastings Artists work at the Stade Hall.

From this beginning, Yasmin and myself, over the next few years developed the idea of creating an oral history archive to compliment the work that HFPS has done over the years with different organisations, research students, Government Marine conservation organisations and artists.

The Sun Feeds the Wind installation at Hastings Contemporary is a wonderful showcase for this project and we hope visitors will take their time to listen to the stories, and watch the unique and beautiful film sequences created for the installation by moving image makers Nichola Bruce and Sam Sharples. What you are seeing is an amalgamation of many years of their videos of the fishermen and the Stade beach, with recent footage taken for this commission.

There are 3 sound points, the central one is composed of 2 hours of extracts of different conversations recorded with the Fishermen since 2011. Each conversation is 6-14 minutes long with short soundscape interludes between each one.

The themes of the extracts cover heritage, family history, the practical work of fishing, skills and knowledge, and the future of sustainable beach launched fisheries affected by changing political and marine conservation regulations.

Jane Bruce designed and created the wonderful setting for the sound and video in the gallery in collaboration with Yasmin, HFPS and myself.  Annie Millar scenic artist created the wall painting which depicts a graphic interpretation of the marine chart for this coastal stretch. The wall painting was not intended as an accurate chart but includes markings that echo those on a marine chart for this area that the fishermen use.

The Fishermen have made the seating and wooden frames for the screens, made the monkey fist knots and lent nets and helped construct the central projection screen.

Yasmin Ornsby and myself are the lead contributors as artists in the concept, design and creation of the installation.

The Audio Visual design and installation has been lead by Jonathan Murphy, and Harvey Summers mastered the audio and advised on the audio design for the gallery.
 

Residue, 2015 - 2022 by Lydia Halcrow

Residues of weathered metals from an abandoned ship on the UK coastline to hold a record of weather-time, Iron Oxide on Somerset and wood shelf.

Lydia is showing with sculptor Robyn Neild in 'The Between Spaces' curated by Judith Rodgers at Vanner Gallery from June 26th. More info here. 

110 x 85 cm

Twins, 2017 by IRINI URANIA POLITI

Figurative painting

50 x 40 cm