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!

Summer News

ACE DYCP Grant!

Some great news!  I’m thrilled to have been offered an Arts Council England Developing Your Creative Practice grant! This will enable me to spend dedicated studio time and research to move my practice forwards in terms of conceptual rigour, sustainability and reach.  I'll be undertaking bi-monthly artistic mentoring sessions with Mark Devereux Projects; exploring new processes and ideas (especially regarding environment/climate justice); and expanding networks and cultural perspectives via a research trip to Kenya, my birthplace.

I did an ACE DYCP workshop with Mark Devereux Projects, which I’m sure helped in my successful application.

I’m very excited and so grateful to ACE for this funding after a difficult time.

Prep for The Gleaning

The Gleaning, a collaborative community art project I’m curating with Gill Sakakini, has been absorbing me with extensive time spent hand-stitching patches of remnants together.  I’ve also been printmaking and hand-dyeing/tie-dyeing with home-made plant- based inks (eg oak galls, onion skins, rust, avocado pits, indigo and turmeric).

Me and Gill testing swatches in front of windows for The Gleaning, Shepton Mallet Church. Photo by Dominic Weston

The project leads to a final exhibition of 11 large-scale textile installations suspended in front of windows in St Peter & St Paul’s Church, Shepton Mallet during Somerset Art Weeks Festival, 24 Sept - 9 Oct.  Our aim is to bring environment into community, reusing what we have around us. The work is being created using a range of fabric, plastic and paper scraps. We have a great steering group including Lizzie Britain, Rosalind Teesdale-Ives and Polly Hall.

I’m currently working on a panel themed ‘Earthlings’. On this piece, stories within a story celebrate fauna and flora, the value and importance of non-humans, and life’s interconnectedness - micro to macro. We’ve started engaging others.  I’ve been working with a young person (Fergus), whose story is about overcoming his fear of insects. His contribution has been created using lino and string prints on tie dyed muslin (with turmeric pigment). Looking forward to working with others over the summer.

Small printed panel in collaboration with Fergus

Our first workshop is tomorrow 11 June at Collett Park Day (10-5, Collett Park, Shepton Mallet BA4 5BP). We’ll be offering printmaking on various surfaces, and story gathering with Polly Hall, most of which will become part of our collaborative art exhibition. See below a list of our other Gleaning workshops this summer. Do join us!

Poster designed by Chris Lee

Featured in Cranmore Grapevine

It was great to chat to Luke Knight on BBC Radio Somerset breakfast programme about The Gleaning last Sunday. Listen here at 2:50-2:57. We’re also grateful to What’s on Somerset and Shepton Journal for features.

We’re fund-raising, and gathering material contributions. If you can help with funds or you’re nearby in Somerset and have any sheer fabric to get rid of, please get in touch.

Together We Rise

In 10 days I’ll be installing Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand in Chichester Cathedral for Together We Rise.  The exhibition comprises over 26 artworks by Royal Society of Sculptors members, curated by Jacquiline Creswell. The work responds to the artists’ experience of the pandemic, their resilience, sense of community and collective hope. 

It’s been a long labour-intensive process creating multiple bodily forms from recycled materials.  The layers of stitching, dyeing, casting, weaving and waxing unwanted materials relates to care and repair, artisan techniques and invisible hands across the globe. The title refers to Renaissance religious paintings (especially by Durer) of the same title. I’ve subverted this to confront issues about multi-species justice, the plight of pangolins, and value of non-humans.

Behind the scenes I’ve been working as part of the steering group.  The exhibition runs from 27 June to 6 September. Our Private View is on 1 July, 6.30pm.  If you’d like to attend this event, please let me know as guest numbers are limited. There will be artist talks during the show (dates TBC - with this space).

Above: work in progress for Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand. Bottom pic: paper casting from trombone squash. Photo by Jack Robson

I’ve updated my website galleries to include some excellent photos taken by Kate McDonnell of Snakes and Ladders II and Of Bones in Walcot Chapel for Materiality. Take a look!

Wishing you a lovely summer!

Highlights 2021; Looking Ahead 2022

Happy New Year!

Photo credits from top: Snakes and Ladders (I) - Barry Cawston; Hope of a Tree - David Bird; All The Colours, ArtFirst - Laura Hylton; Octopus - Steve Richardson; Loft Residency - Dan Hopkins; Glut - Paul Tucker, Courtesy of The Ingram Collection & Unit 1 Gallery; Pyre - me; Hope of a Tree - Linda Ashe; Me installing Snakes and Ladders (I) - Kathryn Sewell

A few highlights from 2021.  It was a tough year, but with plenty of highs. I met and worked with some wonderful people, and grateful for all the support from friends, family, buyers, organisations and followers. 

It was great to have a short film made about my practice, commissioned by Art UK in partnership with Culture Street and Royal Society of Sculptors.  Aimed at secondary schools, it’s one of 10 films about sculptors’ techniques. 

I was delighted to be awarded first prize for Round Lemon’s anniversary exhibition ONE. I gave an artist talk and interview as part of it.

Thanks to Chris Greenwood Red Line Art Works for inviting me to give a Zoom talk.

Touring Inch by IN:CH was hard work but fun along the way. Collaborating with 10 other artists, we showed in some amazing spaces over 4 months, got funding, found new ways to show art and involve the wider community. I worked with Shirley Sharp on performative window drawing and shadow drawing events, and led workshops.  The research and development of work was as exciting as the final outcome. Thanks to all venues and funders including Somerset Skills and Learning, Somerset Art Works, The Arts Society and many other supporters.

It was wonderful to be selected for Wells Art Contemporary at Wells Cathedral. Snakes and Ladders (I) was suspended in the South Transept. Thanks to excellent curators Simon Periton and Robin Sewell.

I was thrilled to be a finalist for the Ingram Prize 2021.  My selected piece Glut was shown in a beautifully curated exhibition at Unit 1 Gallery along with some brilliant artists. Thanks to Jo Baring, Stacie McCormick and Alison Price.

My short film Life in the Undergrowth was part of In Pursuit of Spring at Black Swan Arts.

I loved my Loft Residency, which gave me a chance to explore, develop, make new work and document pieces in an incredible space. My solo exhibition was open during Somerset Open Studios.  Thanks to Heritage Courtyard Gallery and Studios for inviting me and for their support! 

Thanks to Spaeda Arts and Eastover School, Bridgwater for the Octopus and Sea Life wall commission. It was lovely to work with primary school children in the making of it and see their reactions when it was installed.

I enjoyed chatting to Polly Hall about my work for her Procrastination Station podcast.

I’m grateful to Seed Sedgemoor for commissioning All The Colours for Art First. It was a big learning curve: I designed a lenticular (holographic/moving) image of a chameleon changing colours for Buses of Somerset, made up of the community’s images, some created in workshops I led. 

I was really delighted that Pyre was selected for the International Biennial Exhibition Transfiguration: From Nature to Art in Taiwan, which is on exhibition at the National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute until 10th April 2022.

Thanks to Sculptors Drawing Space and Royal Society of Sculptors South West for ongoing zoom meetings led by Simon Hitchens.

I ran my second sculpture course last year, got to know some great artists through it, and am about to run my third (10 Jan - 13 Feb). I still have a few spaces so if interested, see this showreel for details.

Images: Martydom of the Ten Thousand (working title), for Chichester Cathedral

In the studio. Photo by Jack Robson

Sketch: ideas for installation

I have some exciting exhibitions lined up for this year including Together We Rise at Chichester Cathedral with Royal Society of Sculptors curated by Jacquline Cresswell, and Materiality with Kate McDonnell, Kelly O’Brien and Nicola Turner at Walcot Chapel. Fingers crossed it doesn’t get cancelled again.

I’m working on a large installation for Chichester, inspired by the plight of pangolins. Stitch by stitch, forms are emerging and a growing collection of bodily forms are gathering in my studio.  I’m using recycled materials that are hand-sewn, wrapped, tie-dyed with home-made plant inks, and waxed over woven structures.  It’s going to take me a few months, but I’m enjoying the labour-intensive process.  Louise Bourgeois said ‘The act of sewing is a process of emotional repair’. 

Here’s to a greener year in 2022 full of love, kindness and creativity!  

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’…

Workshops, Exhibitions, Residencies

Inch by IN:CH

We had a magical day in the woods at Found Outdoors for our pop-up earlier this month. The light was sublime. ‘The work was held by the environment so well it could have been made for it!’ (Philippa Edwards). 

Our finale at the Gauge Museum (West Somerset Railway, Bishops Lydeard TA4 3RU); 25 September - 3 October, 11am-5pm daily (closed Mondays) is part of Somerset Open Studios.

The event is part of a 6 month travelling exhibition of art in cases. We’re treating this as a residency, so each of us will be working on something in situ.

We have some exciting events for you to take part in! Some are drop-in, others are part of The Big Draw and need to be booked in advance. We’re keen to engage Somerset-based residents.

The first workshop this Sunday will be led by me and Shirley Sharp:

Sculpture and Shadow Drawing Workshop: Sun 26 Sept, 2-4pm. Make sculptures and shadow drawings using wire, clay, newspaper and recycled materials. We will first create heads and other sculptural forms. The artists will then guide you to use these as inspiration to draw sculpted shadows, enhanced by dramatic lighting, using inks and graphite, limited places. For adults and children (accompanied by adult/s). Just £5 for materials. Book via Eventbrite:

Next week:

Family Drawing Workshop: Sat 2 Oct, 2-4pm. Exploring the Journey of Line: where it might go and how it might get there. With Helen Anson & Anna Kot….. Eventbrite,

Family Sculpture Workshop: Combine sculpture and drawing processes using mainly recycled materials; Supported by Somerset Art Works and linked to The Big Draw; Sun 3 Oct, 2 - 4pm Eventbrite

Please share this information with anyone you think might be interested. Our funds depend on participants!

For more events visit www.inchbyinch.uk

Wells Art Contemporary, Wells Cathedral

There’s still time to visit Wells Art Contemporary, where my installation Snakes and Ladders (I) is exhibited. I’m so grateful to visitors, wonderful feedback and photographs of my work. Below are some beautiful shots taken in the cathedral by Barry Cawston, Dominic Weston, Polly Hall, and Jack Robson

Snakes and Ladders (I), Wells Cathedral. Photo by Barry Cawston

Photo by Polly Hall

Photo by Dominic Weston

Photo by Jack Robson

The extraordinary effort and process involved in transporting, fixing together, erecting and suspending the piece will happen in reverse next week! There have been some excellent reviews of the exhibition and installations. It ends on Sunday 26 September, so if you haven’t yet, I’d recommend a visit! :-)

Snakes and Ladders (I) was originally created as part of a series of dysfunctional ladders and hangings for B-Wing, Shepton Mallet Prison. The piece was inspired by Piranesi’s ‘The Bridge’, referencing the human cycle of striving, greed and suffering. The winglike skeletal structure is a precarious stairway, reminiscent of flight and extinct animals hung in museums. My use of recycled and discarded materials relates to waste, our relationship with matter and nature.

Loft Residency

I’m really enjoying my ongoing Loft Residency above Heritage Courtyard Gallery and Studios. Huge thanks to Heritage Courtyard Gallery for all their support, for facilitating my residency, and to all our lovely visitors; it’s been wonderful to meet and chat with friends and new acquaintances. Open 18 Sept-2 Oct, 11-4 (closed Sun/Mon).

Some of my pieces are in progress. I’ll be working on them over the next week or so. The residency is giving me the opportunity to experiment with the space and new ideas using mainly recycled and found materials, responding to ongoing global events and nature’s complex interconnections.

As part of this event I'll be running a sculpture workshop on Saturday 2 October, 2-4pm in the gallery:

‘Inspired by the incredible variety of creatures and plant forms in our natural world, come and explore different processes to create a small sculpture, using recycled and found materials including copper wire. Materials will be provided, but do bring your own collection of buttons, bottle tops and beads to add to your sculpture! £15pp. Book via email: fionacampbell-art@sky.com’.

I’ll be there when the gallery’s open apart from Saturday 25/9, when I’ll be at my Inch by IN:CH venue (16).

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

For more images visit my Instagram page