Looking back and forward

Looking back

For me, this past year has been exceptional - hugely important to my creative development, and personally.   High and low life-changing events have caused great shifts in my practice.

Focusing on the highs, I was delighted to have gained a distinction in my Masters in Fine Art, and thrilled to have recently been selected for a Royal Society of Sculptors Gilbert Bayes Award.  I am greatly looking forward to the mentoring sessions and other development opportunities, and very happy to be a part of the RSS.

In the last few weeks I have been re-calibrating.  This has included sorting my studio space, planning new projects, running workshops, invigilating at Hauser & Wirth, starting a commission, visiting exhibitions in London, and making a giant octopus sculpture to lead the Shepton lantern parade (22 Dec) in collaboration with the Rubbish Art Project and local community, using colourful recycled plastic and wire.

Looking forward

I have some exciting exhibitions and projects lined up for next year:

Coming soon: my large piece ‘Glut’ will be shown at ‘Incendiary’, Landsdown Gallery/SVA, Stroud, 4-10 February 2019

I’ll also be working towards creating a site-specific body of work for a Residency and Solo Exhibition in the Cells, Town Hall Arts, Trowbridge, April – May 2019.  The cells will provide an interesting test space in which to explore new ideas and processes.   Alongside this, I’ll be running workshops. The work will potentially lead to another project later in the year in Shepton Mallet prison – more info on this and other exhibitions later.

My website is currently having a major facelift - the new face should be ready in January.   Meanwhile, if you’d like to keep in touch, do join me on Instagram, Twitter and/or Facebook (links below):

Instagram fionacampbellartist

Twitter @fionasculpture

Facebook Fiona Campbell Art

All the best for a happy, peaceful, fulfilling Christmas and New Year!

Research

My MA continues to absorb me.  Research is a main focus this term, I have never got through so much literature in such a short time!  I am looking at the 'expanded fields' (Krauss) and blurred boundaries in drawing and sculpture, doing alot of thinking, writing, visiting exhibitions, listening to talks and making samples.  I love the alchemy.  Inspired by artists such as Eva Hesse in the 60's who defied categorisation, Cornelia Parker (exploded shed; melts down and ‘draws’ the object/s (eg a lead bullet) into wire), Monika Grzymala (see image below: theatrical explosions with tape and paper), Chiharu Shiota (immersive stretched installations) and critics/philosophers e.g. Rosalind Krauss and Peter Osborne, new ideas are slowly formulating.

This month, I will be taking part in the Quartz Visual Arts Festival ’16, ‘Outside In’, 15-22 December at Queens College, Taunton TA1 4QS.  This involves a collection of work based on the rural landscape and natural world from over 40 artists and makers in the South West.

I’ve been involved behind the scenes at Black Swan Arts, Frome.  The winter exhibition ‘30 Years/30 Artists’ is now running until 24 Dec, our final 30^th anniversary celebration of 30 years at Black Swan.  Postcard artworks have returned to the Gallery (displayed on a strange pink/silver/pearl tree I cobbled together), this time in secret envelopes at just £10 each - Christmas bargain!

I am also working towards a large piece for ‘Fresh Air ‘17’ in Quenington, Gloucestershire.  More news on this later.

Very best wishes for a happy festive season!