Dust of Stars

Work in progress: Dust of Stars, for Hatch. Found, discarded and recycled materials: wood, metal, wire, rope, twine, glass, plastic, rubber, miscellaneous debris and objects.

I’ve created an installation in a disused barn for an exhibition Death & Microwaves, Hatch, Somerset. Enjoyed the freedom to be experimental in a large space, play with shadow, and take a line for a walk, working with my collection of salvaged materials and objects. Regarding the value we give to different materials, I’ve re-used old work and things which often end up in waste piles, what I already have.

Anselm Keifer speaks of the detritus he collected as ‘an incessant metabolism, the beginning of a rebirth.’ The creative cycle,  the ‘ceaseless shuttling back and forth between nothing and something, a constant going from one state to the other’, is synonymous with life and death. Each merges into the other with no real defining point, a cyclical persistence. Considering this and the magnitude of our universe, what is living and what is dead?  As matter is ongoing, is this stuff alive?  Life comes from the dust of stars, and we return to dust. According to Carl Sagan: ‘The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff.’

Death & Microwaves, Hatch, Langport, Somerset, Oct 27 - 12 Nov. ‘Like the Dadaists, whose name came by stabbing a knife into a French-German dictionary pointing to the word dada (hobby-horse), the title for our upcoming exhibition arose from two spontaneous and juxtaposing conversations around a dinner table.’ Book to visit. Exhibition late opening 3 & 10 Nov, from 4.30pm. Tea & cake 5.30pm. Artist Talks 6pm. Come to my talk on 10 November! Georgina Towler and I will each be discussing our work on show. See here for more.

Somerset Open Studios ‘23

A few more pics from my Open Studio event, which ended at the beginning of this month. Some days were magical, with visitors, sunshine, and butterflies galore. Other days wind and rain lashed at the outdoor work, activating the flags. Great to have sold a few pieces and receive quality feedback. Loved welcoming people - thanks to all who visited!

Resurrection., on show in my garden. Photo credit Andy Ladhams; thumbnail pics above: 1-5 Rich Cassidy; 6 Andy Ladhams

I have a small sculpture Roots in ACEarts Open Exhibition. The Meet the Artists event was a great start to the show. Lovely to catch up with so many artists, and see the wide selection of artworks. Runs 14 Oct-11 Nov, 10-5, Tues-Sat, Somerton, Somerset.

My work is currently on show at Stone Lane Gardens Sculpture Exhibition 2023, Chagford, Devon until 31 Oct..

Loved making a small Pangolin sculpture for Faber Books. As part of a campaign to launch the paperback ‘The Golden Mole and Other Vanishing Treasure’ by Katherine Rundell, Faber Books is working with independent, sustainable artists on bespoke pieces inspired by animals in the book. My obvious choice was a pangolin, most trafficked mammal in the world. I have a particular passion for their plight. Many people aren’t aware of what they are and how endangered they’re becoming. They are such docile, shy creatures, and it’s a tragedy that they are slaughtered for their only protection - their scales.

Pangolin, found and recycled materials: copper and steel off-cuts, wire, aluminium & plastic bottle tops, buttons, beads, wood, twine, shells.

I’ve been leading workshops with young people via YMCA/SAW. I’m also teaching art at Bath College: sculpture, drawing & painting, and life drawing courses. It’s been a busy initiation, with heavy admin, training and prep involved. Finding the juggling quite exhausting, but it helps pay the bills and support my art practice.

Looking forward to a PADA residency in February, and seeking help to fund this great opportunity. If you can support in any way, please click on the link below.

Donate

New Work on Show for Wander_Land, Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens

Flags of the Forest, reclaimed and found materials, 2023.. Photo Russell Sach

After months of prep and an intense week installing my work is now on show in Wander_Land, a large scale artist-led group exhibition of new sculpture at Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens and Gallery, Penzance, Cornwall. The exhibition is about landscape and wandering, and includes 28 artists from Royal Society of Sculptors - open daily 1 July - 5 Aug, 11-4. Closing Event 5 Aug 11-4. The show spans several spaces inside and out. Works range in style and materiality, some pushing sculpture to its edges. It’s been a joy working together alongside great colleagues, and behind the scenes with steering group Seamus Moran, Mark Richards, Ann-Margreth Bohl, and curator/writer Martin Holman. See more here. Our Opening Evening was followed by a busy first weekend with Artist Talks. You can listen to artists talk about their work in a series of podcasts led by Doug Burton. Mine is here.

I created 2 pieces: Flags of the Forest (outdoors) and Above and Below (indoors).

Flags of the Forest. Photo Russell Sach

Flags of the Forest. Photo Barbara Beyer

Art writer Martin Holman, who assisted us with the curation, wrote in his introduction to the show:

‘Fiona Campbell’s ‘Above and Below’ distils that essentialness of the all-round effect of nature and transports it into the gallery as if challenging the enclosure that comes with architecture.’

‘The thicket of stem-like upright forms and trailing translucent pennants on the grass bank… suggests another way marker or a minor encampment of a travelling band. At the same time as these colourful ideas emerge, others focused on sculptural properties like line, volume, space and surface occur. The piece assembles a wide array of natural matter and woven fabrics acquired in all manner of exchange and appropriation, or bring obliquely to mind the pattern of commerce, profit and exploitation in the manufacture of fashion items for western consumption.’ (Flags of the Forest).

Grid images below: Flags of the Forest installation process. Photo credits: 4,5,6,7,8,9,24,29 Barbara Beyer

Flags of the Forest. Photos (above x 2) by Russell Sach

Photo Barbara Beyer

Visitors’ silent walk to see Flags of the Forest before Artist Talks. Photo David Bird

Above: visitor with Flag

Left: photo by Jane Jobling

Flags of the Forest took almost a year to make, in between other work. Inspired by walks in woodlands, it was developed from an indoor piece to a large outdoor installation. The flags celebrate bio-diversity, hopeful of nature being more cared for, and thriving. The work includes tall heavy scrap metal and found wood components with fragile hand-stitched patchworks of semi-translucent textiles elements - some I’ve botanically dyed, eco-printed or embedded with found objects collected on walks. It’s a first for me - and a steep learning curve - to include a water feature as part of an installation. Labour-intensive processes included digging a ditch/pond/water feature and carrying many buckets of water uphill…  Have enjoyed seeing the work activated by wind, rain and sunshine.  It tinkles, reflects in the inky water, and casts strong shadows. Have loved chatting to visitors and their dogs. I couldn’t dream of a better view for this work - across the sea to St Michael’s Mount, a tidal island, place of pilgrimage and the inspiration for the show.

Above and Below is a response to the entanglements of matter, rhizomic systems and debris that make up the strata we walk on. Interconnected lines of life, in a process of becoming, growing, ‘frothing and tangling and fusing.. layering and layering and layering…..’ (Merlin Sheldrake, Entangled Life). ‘Fungal networks lace woodland soil… slow stories… making and remaking…. Vascular systems of forest wisdom.’’ (Robert Macfarlane, Underland).

Above and Below, reclaimed and found materials including metal, wood, insects, twine, tree bark, pods, fishing net, roots, grasses, bones, pondweed, nest, aluminium, sisal,, botanically dyed fabric, wax, 2023

Above and Below, Wander_Land. Photo Russell Sach

Images above: Above and Below install, Opening Evening, Artist Talk and exhibition overview. Photo credits: 1,3 Mark Richards; 4 Rob Marshall; 5,10,11 Barbara Beyer; 8 Jane Jobling; 9,20 Seamus Moran; 14,19 Russell Sach; 16 Doug Burton; 17 Jo Hague.

Thanks to:

Jason Nosworthy and Mike Belcher for helping me install; Seamus and Jo Moran for their hospitality all week during and post install; Jane Jobling and other exhibiting artists; Neil Armstrong & team at Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens; Martin Holman for his help curating; Arts Council England for my DYCP award which enabled me to develop this work to an ambitious scale; Mark Devereux Projects for mentoring support this year.

If you haven’t yet, do visit!  And see @wanderland2023 for more..

My year of ACE DYCP has now come to an end, but I will be continuing in the same vein towards a more sustainable practice, taking risks, exploring and developing further.

I was delighted to see my work settled in its new home. Above and Below I (mixed media collage) looks fabulous framed up so beautifully, and in a perfect spot. I’ll now be focusing on new work for Somerset Open Studios (16 Sept - 1 Oct). In the meantime, if you’d like to purchase any of my works please visit my shop.

Above and Below 1, mixed media collage

Earthlings

Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand, Together We Rise, Chichester Cathedral. Photo by Ann Purkiss.

I’ve had a full-on month!  Some of the stand out events:

Together We Rise opened in Chichester Cathedral at the end of June.  A major exhibition of work by 25 artists from Royal Society of Sculptors (South West), artist-led, curated by Jacquiline Creswell.

My piece Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand was created over a period of 10 months and took 5 days to install - slow, meditative art that is addictive and healing.  Described by another sculptor as ritualistic. The installation process felt like a short residency.  As I worked in the cathedral space, up tall ladders or perched on scaffolding, visitors chatted to me about the work.  It felt important to discuss it. There are over 50 bodily forms relating to the plight of pangolins. These intriguing delightful creatures are the most trafficked mammals in the world. - see my previous blog for details and more images.  I’m frequently having to conquer my fear of heights and I was grateful to those who helped.

I’m in awe of the exhibition and venue. The placement of work is very sympathetic to the space and fabric of the building, thanks to the expertise of curator Jacquiline Creswell.  Extraordinary light and beautiful choir and organ sounds accompany the work, giving it gravitas.  I’m feeling hugely grateful to be part of it, for the support of the Society group, the Cathedral team and hard work of our excellent curator.  As Jacquiline says: ‘we all put our hearts and souls into this exhibition and you can see and feel it’.

The PV was fantastic, with opening talks by Richard Cork (FT Art critic), and The Dean.  I was moved by a highly emotional response to my work:  Friend Sarah James was brought to tears at the sight of it. The exhibition feedback so far: ‘multi-layered, surprising, professional, diverse, strong, symbiotic with cathedral, sits beautifully, remarkable, spiritual, special…’.

The cathedral also has work by Chagall, John Piper and Graham Sutherland among others.

The exhibition runs until 6 September.  Hope you can visit!

Above photos: 1, 2, 3 by Paul Gonella. 4, 5, 6 by Ann Purkiss

Projects often coincide or collide.  I’m co-curating/working on The Gleaning, a collaborative community arts project celebrating diversity, connectivity, and the environment.  Large-scale translucent textile artworks will be suspended in front of clear glass windows in Shepton Mallet’s beautiful church.  Working with Gill Sakakini, Polly Hall and others, we’re delivering a series of free workshops - 2 this week. See full list, funded by Shepton Town Council, Cranmore Parish Council and other donors.

20th July, 10am-12pm – Sweet 11 Cafe, High Street, Shepton Mallet: Cake & Collage

21st July, 3-5pm – St Peter & St Paul Church, Shepton Mallet: Stories with Art

I’ve been working on a large-scale panel themed Earthlings. Stories within a story celebrate fauna and flora, the value and importance of non-humans, and life’s interconnectedness.. For weeks I’ve been hand-stitching remnants together, printmaking and tie-dyeing with home-made plant inks.  On top of collaging and arranging shapes, it takes hours and hours to appliqué pieces together.  We had a lovely time at Collett Park Day with people of all ages getting involved and creating fabulous prints for the panels. A work experience student, Pippa, and local artist Juliet Duckworth worked with me on the Earthlings panel last week.  Many more people have been involved in donating fabric offcuts, fruit nets etc.  We are fund-raising, thanks to our steering group Rosalind Teesdale-Ives, Polly Hall and Lizzie Britain.  Do get involved in some way..

Work in progress for The Gleaning - Earthlings collaboration with Juliet Duckworth

Following on from wire creature workshops with St Benedicts C of E Junior School via LIFE beat, I made a Copper Tree for permanent siting in their Peace Garden, presented on the school’s Wellbeing Day.  Made of recycled copper piping, the tree is designed to support the little sculptures. The creatures represent the school’s ‘Elly’ animals - each having important characteristics to nurture.

Copper Tree with wire sculptures (made in workshops), St Benedicts C of E Junior School, via LIFEbeat

I’m really pleased that Entangled I has been selected for the Royal Society of Sculptors Summer Exhibition by curator Isabel de Vasconcellos. The show will be at 4 Cromwell Place, London SW7 2JE 19-24 July, 10-6 daily.

Entangled I, recycled steel, wire, filter papers, 25 x 26 x 27cms

I made the piece during lockdown 2020 as part of my Life in the Undergrowth project. I was fascinated by roots, shoots and worms in upturned turf in my garden. Work evolved using to-hand and found materials.

I’m clearing the decks a little so I can get stuck into more studio work, and will set up a separate blog for my ACE DYCP work..

Hope you can visit some of these events. And enjoy the sunshine!

Selected for Ingram Prize 2021

Glut, 2018, recycled & found materials. Photo by Mike Garlick

I’m absolutely thrilled to have been selected as a finalist at this year’s Ingram Prize, the leading annual prize for contemporary artists in the UK. 

My selected piece Glut, was created in 2018.  It’s an outpouring, an emotional and physical wailing in response to environmental issues including waste, our consumerist society, factory farming, the plastic oceans, animal extinctions, climate breakdown.  And the loss of our boxer dog.

The materials, especially personal items speak of past lives, loss, textiles, craft. In contrast, the organic forms symbolise death, violence, but also vulnerability and renewal - the duality of horror and tenderness. Materiality and process are part of the message, embedded in the narrative: the work is hand-made, labour-intensive and my use of recycled and found materials relates to our relationship with matter, nature and ourselves. Collecting objects and materials is intrinsic to the process.  

The work is a form of artivism, a suturing in an attempt to heal.  Timely for COP26.

An exhibition of the finalists’ work, including mine, will be held at Unit 1 Gallery/Workshop, 1 Bard Rd, London W10 6TP, Friday 19 - Friday 26 November ’21. I hope you can come!  The winners will be announced on 18 November in London. 

It’s so wonderful to be part of the fantastic line up of artists and prestigious exhibition!

Here’s one of the the latest press articles.

‘From The Inside’

Some of my work from B-Wing, a project I co-curated in 2019, is featured in ‘From The Inside’, a book by Dave Cable, published this year about Shepton Mallet Prison. B-Wing was a 2 week site-responsive arts event in the prison involving 8 artists/writers and special events, part of Somerset Art Works Festival ‘19.

The book has already sold out, which may lead to a second print run. Along with the main book, an extra little booklet was published, devoted to our B-Wing project. It’s a great legacy to our project!

Back in the Studio:

It’s lovely to be back in the studio making again. I’ve been tie dying with various home-made plant inks, stitching, weaving and wrapping. The labour intensive processes are linked to care and repair. 

It took me several days to clear up after a flurry of projects. Due to rain damage, I’ve had to have a new roof made to store some of my work - thanks to Nick Weaver for help with this. I’ve finally made space to develop my next piece based around pangolins and their plight. Pangolins are now an endangered species - the most trafficked mammal in the world.

Exhibition in Taiwan

So glad my work Pyre arrived safely in Taiwan (80+ bound elements), and excited that it will soon be on exhibition at International Biennale, Paper Fiber Art 2021/22, Change: NTCRI, Nantou 54246, Taiwan; 12 Nov-10 April ’22. There will be a film of the exhibition published for the opening - watch this space!

Pyre, 2020, charred found objects (detail)

Forthcoming workshop:

I’ll be running a free Eco Christmas Tree Decoration-making Workshop on 10 Dec ‘21 at The Art Bank, Shepton Mallet BA4 5AD. Inspired by our natural world, you will be creating small sculptural creature or plant forms using recycled and found materials including copper wire and found objects.  We will explore form, texture, pattern, colour…  Materials will be transformed into imaginative, decorative forms.  The workshop will encourage an inventive approach, finding new ways of making.  Ideal for your Christmas Tree or eco hand-made Christmas gifts!

You are welcome to bring along your own collection of colourful beads and buttons to add to your pieces.

Thanks to the support of Shepton Mallet Town Council.

To Book email: fionacampbell-art@sky.com