Zig Zag Residency & Artist Bursary Award, As Old as the Hills

Work in progress. Photo by Richard Tomlinson

I’ve been working in the Zig Zag building, Glastonbury, constructing some of my stilt structures for As Old as the Hills, a project I’m co-curating with Jan Ollis.

I’m interested in placing art in unusual spaces that bring their own atmosphere. The Zig Zag is unique; an iconic example of Bauhaus architecture, light floods in through long banks of windows which span both lengths of the building. I’m thrilled to be using it as a residency and exhibition space, collaborating with such a great selection of artists, and community.

My series of Stilt Structures imply precarity, adaptability and resilience; treading the earth lightly. Stilt dwellings, built to avoid floods, exist on edges of safety around the world; precarious, fragile structures in unstable environments that might collapse. Somali nomads carry their homes - elaborate bundles - on overladen camels (symbols of adaptability, endurance, trade routes). The Landes stilt-walkers of 19thC adapted to their marshy environment. The work also refers to the ancient timber Sweet Track built 3800BC, Avalon Marshes. The walkway, constructed on diagonal sticks, was a way for humans to traverse boggy marshland, once submerged under sea.

My work responds to the Zig Zag building: its history as Morlands sheepskin/leather factory, the verticals/horizontals of its Bauhaus architecture and Bauhaus textiles. I’ve sourced materials from marshes, rivers and beaches, and harvested local plants to dye fabric remnants. Bound, wrapped and hand-stitched, the bundles carry politics of textiles: history of trade, colonisation, mass production, and wasteful fashion industry. In our increasingly unstable climate of floods, famine, extinctions, gyres of waste escalating in the name of ‘progress’, my hybrids - part vessel, house, creature - are past and future imaginings.

Thanks to my neighbour Roger Spear who has been a great help to me with constructing and installing, and Chris Black (Zig Zag) for all his support. Also to Nigel Evans and others who have dropped by to give a hand.

I’m really thrilled and so grateful to have been awarded a Curator Space Artist Bursary to support the development of my new work for As Old as the Hills.

You are welcome to attend our Exhibition Launch on Saturday 21st September, 10 - 5. After party from 5pm

The project and preparations for our Exhibition Launch are going well.  Artists are now working on the final stages of work in residencies at the Zig Zag.  One of our artists, Cat Robertson, has been staying with me, and it has been inspiring working and getting to know her. Our Launch opens at 10am with events happening throughout the day, starting with the opening by the Mayor of Glastonbury, a dance response to the work  at by Katherine Ashworth and Melanie Thompson 11am , followed by a comedic performance by Di Milstein 11.30am, then a talk 2.30pm by Damon Bridge (RSPB/project partner).  Or do come to the exhibition any day 10-5 between 21 Sept-6 Oct , part of Somerset Art Weeks Festival.

Upcoming workshops as part of As Old as the Hills:

Drop in or email: fionacampbell-art@sky.com

Book via Eventbrite

Artists in Conversation, Tuesday 24 Sept, 6.30pm,, £5

Layered books Workshop with Penelope O'Gara and Fiona Campbell, Saturday 28 September, 2-4pm, £12

Workshop working with found feathers, owl pellets, plant & river weed pressings with Duncan Cameron, Sunday 29 September, 2-4pm, £12

'Living on the Edge’: Talk by Zig Zag owner Chris Black, blurring boundaries between urban & rural, Sunday 29 September, 6pm, £10

Pyre is currently on show at Royal Society of Sculptors Summer Show: ‘Reality Check’, Dora House, 108 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3RA, 22 July- 21 Sept,

I have an upcoming exhibition Elemental at Sou’ - Sou’ -West, Bridport with Jan Alison Edwards and Ally Matthews (19 Oct-10 Nov), so am making new work for this

I’m offering an online Sculpture Course (self-directed) - great value at only £40. Do share!

Hope to see you at one or more of these events!

End of a Busy Time

A whirlwind of overlapping projects came to a crescendo last month. In addition to featuring in WAC, Wells Cathedral, I had 2 venues during Somerset Open Studios - one an art residency and solo in the spacious Loft above Heritage Courtyard Gallery and Studios.  The second was our Inch by IN:CH finale. I ran workshops as part of these events, and invigilated daily.  All went surprisingly well, though felt shattered after takedown last week!

Loft Residency & Solo Exhibition

My residency was a great opportunity to test ideas and curate a body of work in an interesting space.  Some pieces were reconstructions; others new and exploratory. Threads connected the drawings to sculptural installations, loosely hinged on entanglements.  I welcomed conversations with visitors and appreciated the feedback.  There was a sense that the sculptures were alive. 

Visitors’ comments:

‘Awesome, imaginative installations, gives me some inspirations to move me forwards’

‘Very stimulating. Captures so much’ 

‘What impresses me most is the subtlety of sewing together the most varied colours and shapes into a cohesive and harmonious whole’

‘Inspiring, energetic insect-like pieces’

‘Fabulous, intricate, complex - great to see work in progress. Very evocative!’

‘..made me think of Merlin Sheldrake’s book on Fungi. Exhibition captured me immediately’

‘Otherworldly and thought provoking’

‘Fascinating range of exploratory work’

’So-o-o inspiring working with the natural materials..’

I’ve loved my time there and really grateful to Heritage Courtyard Studios for their support. I’ve made a short film of the residency - thanks to Rebecca Barnard for footage, and Dan Hopkins, Jack Robson and Nigel Evans for some of the photos:

Inch by IN:CH Collaboration

Inch by IN:CH, now over, was a formidable undertaking at a difficult time.  We had many conversations with visitors, in relation to the work and wider issues. Taking our work to places where people didn’t expect to see art, responding to changing environments and pressures, our project accomplished what we intended - transporting art and ideas into local communities. 

We had a fantastic finale at the Gauge Museum, West Somerset Railway, ending 3 October.  It was filled with activities, visitors, participants and creative energy!  We ran several workshops, linked to The Big Draw.  Mixed ages created together using a range of media and techniques, 2d to 3d.  We were delighted with the large turnout of participants and their responses.

Jenna Myles (Somerset Cool/BBC radio) visited and interviewed us, trialing a Sculpture and Shadow Drawing Workshop I ran with Shirley Sharp.  I featured on BBC Breakfast radio with Charlie Taylor on the last day (1:53 - 1:58).  We were thrilled with an excellent review of our project by Fiona Robinson, for Evolver magazine. 

It’s been wonderful travelling around parts of the south west to such an interesting range of venues over the past 5 months! We’ve learnt so much as a collaborative artist group, and thrilled that it’s been a success!  Hard work.  But an incredible journey.  We’re so grateful to all our visitors and supporters.  

Hope of a Tree, The Gauge Museum. Photo by Jenna Myles

WAC

It was sad taking down my Snakes and Ladders (I) installation from Wells Cathedral, a highlight of this year.  Feedback has been very positive. Many thanks to Nick Weaver, WAC and Wells Cathedral team for helping with de-installation. It was an honour to be part of this fabulous show!

Snakes and Ladders (I). Photo by Dan Hopkins

A big thank you to everyone who came to see my exhibitions and supported along the way!
Things are easing a bit for me, and I’m beginning to feel restored :-)

Other News

My work Pyre will be on show in Taiwan soon, as part of the International Biennal for fibre art: Change, 12 Nov ‘21 - 10 April ‘22

My giant Octopus installation, created with students at Eastover Primary School, Bridgwater, via SPAEDA is being appreciated by the school. See pics from a site visit/photoshoot, and below.

Me with pupil and giant Octopus installation, Eastover Primary School. Photo by Alice Crane, SPAEDA.

Time to focus on my ongoing installation for a group exhibition with Royal Society of Sculptors ‘Together We Rise’, Chichester Cathedral 2022, being curated by Jacquiline Creswell.

A very exciting London exhibition is coming up (details to be announced soon)!

I’ll be working on my website e-commerce shop in time for Christmas, and currently making a batch of small copper bowls for Durslade Farm Shop, Hauser & Wirth Somerset. Always grateful for sales ;-)

I’m part of a Reading Circle ‘All We Can Save’. Rather than just hope, we’re discussing ways to act in courage. ‘All you touch changes’. ‘Indigenous ways of knowing.. [deemed] primitive.. are now being ..sought to save our environment..’ ‘Diversity fosters social coherence’; we need to ‘evolve into a state of interbeing with the rest of life..’

Countdown to COP26 in November requires ‘injections of imagination about how harmful systems and embedded inequalities can change for the better’…