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!

Many Happenings

So much happened in April, it flew by and we’re now a third through May!

Materiality

In late April I showed my work in Materiality, an exhibition at Walcot Chapel, Bath, alongside Kate McDonnell, Kelly O’ Brien and Nicola Turner. It focused on the importance of materials through contemporary sculpture and installation.  There was real synergy between the works.  The exhibition ended last Sunday after an incredible week. We were thrilled by so many visitors, and had fun interacting at our various events. Clare Whistler intrigued audiences with her sensitive performative responses to our artwork. Her movement activated the space, and her poetic interpretations of our use of materials offered wonderful insights. 

Snakes and Ladders II, 2022, Materiality

Materiality. Of Bones in foreground

Materiality, Walcot Chapel, Bath. Photo by Kate McDonnell

Of Bones (detail). Photo by David Bird

Materiality, Walcot Chapel, Bath. Photo by Kate McDonnell

As part of our events I ran a sculpture workshop. I loved seeing how intergenerational participants explored the materials in a different way.  Our Materiality Salon involved a candlelit dinner one evening, surrounded by the installations. We had great food, service and conversations around materiality. The evening closed by reflecting on the etymology of materiality - mater (mother). On the last day we held our Artist Talks with Q&A.

Photo credits above: 3 Lou Baker; 4 Juliet Duckworth; 6 Kate McDonnell; 11, 14 Nicola Turner; 15 Rebecca Newnham; 20 David Bird

‘I think this is probably the best exhibition I have seen in this space with the work of all 4 artists making the most of this beautiful building.’ (Anya Beaumont)

‘Spectacularly meaningful and nourishing work… a really inspiring and informative show, fascinating talks, beautiful performance and great workshop! I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in sustainability and materiality for the day…. Being with the work and working in the space with you was such a tonic and pivotal to my own practice’ (Karen Goonewardene).

Thanks to everyone who made it to the show and participated! 

Pyre is back from the International Bienale, Taiwan. This film (made by me and my son Jack Robson) gives some insights into the work.

I’ve been enjoying the ritual of stitch in my latest projects. My multi-form piece 'Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand’ (inspired by the pangolin plight) is in the final throes of its making. It will be part of an exhibition Together We Rise at Chichester Cathedral with Royal Society of Sculptors members, 27June-6 September, curated by Jacquiline Creswell. PV 1 July, 6.30pm. Would love to see you there!

I’m beginning to focus more on my next project The Gleaning, which I’m co-curating with Gill Sakakini. It’s a community arts project of immersive textiles installations, celebrating diversity. Large-scale translucent artworks will be suspended in front of clear glass windows in Shepton Mallet’s beautiful church.  Stories will reflect different styles and cultures using recycled and found materials, all made with the community. The final exhibition will be part of Somerset Art Weeks Festival (themed ‘Sanctuary’), 24 September to 9 October ’22. Preparations are in progress for our first workshop at Collett Park Day, Shepton Mallet, on 11 June. As the title suggests, this involves a lot of gathering - of ideas, materials, and people. It’s been fun working with Gill, compiling unwanted sheer fabric, used teabags, tie dyeing with indigo, oak galls and other plant inks, printing samples, collaging, and stitching. We’re seeking funding, so if you can help please let me know!

Prepping for workshops for The Gleaning, with Gill Sakakini

Workshops:

On Earth Day (22 April ) I ran a Greening the Arts workshop via Somerset Art Works, funded by SSL at Somerset Earth Science Centre. Participants used a range of 2d/3d found/recycled materials and objects, including home-made plant inks, made drawing tools from found debris eg feathers and grasses, experimented with processes and combinations, in between discussions about sustainability and the climate crisis.  Everyone made drawings, translucent fibre collages, and small sculptures.  As part of it I compiled a Greening arts Resource list, which will be live on the SAW website.

Greening Arts Workshop

Circle of Life was a project I worked on via SPAEDA, involving Churchstanton Primary schoolchildren making headdresses, masks and costumes using recycled and found materials, inspired by the Lion King production, African art and ecology. These came together in a final story/dance performance in early April. Covid affected the project as several of us went down with it, but still very pleased with results!

Photos (above, bottom row) by: 1, 2,3 Jenna Creasy, SPAEDA; 4 Steve Richardson, Somerset County Gazette

Below: colourful outcomes from a Birthday Party wire workshop I ran

In my voluntary role on the Black Swan Arts Programming Group, I helped Simon Hitchens curate his exhibition Beyond Body (Long Gallery).  The work explores the notion that there is the possibility of a state of being, sentient or otherwise, that is post-human.  His talk will be on 19 May 6.30-7.30pm.

Alongside, I’m showing Verticals in Black Swan’s Round Tower as part of Celebration, an exhibition which celebrates the people behind BSA’s community arts centre.  If you’re in Frome, do visit.

I did an Instagram Takeover for the Ingram Collection last week. Head over to their page to spot my posts.

Just spent a weekend in Devon and Cornwall, including a site-visit to Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, wonderful tour by owner Neil Armstrong and picnic with Royal Society of Sculptors members.  It’s staggeringly beautiful, with lush tropical architectural plants, magnificent trees, many used to embrace or support the installations by sculptors including David Nash, Richard Long, Kishio Suga, James Turrell and fellow RSS member Seamus Moran.  We’re planning a group show there in 2023 - exciting!

See my instagram page for regular updates.  And do visit my shop for drawings, cards, gifts and more…


Thanks for reading this bumper blog, and hope to see you at a future event!

Fiona x

Materiality, Greening the Arts and more

Snakes and Ladders (detail). Photo (above) by Dominic Weston. Photo (left) by Geoff Dunlop

I’ve been working on several projects in schools along with prep for forthcoming exhibitions and new art projects. And pleased to have just recovered from my first bout of covid!

Materiality

I’m excited to be exhibiting with 3 other women artists whose work I admire. We met during our MAs at Bath Spa Uni.  The exhibition has been a long time coming, with cancellations due to lockdown etc…

Materiality (27 April - 1 May) is the first show at Walcot Chapel, Bath since it closed for lockdown 2020.  It features 4 women artists: Fiona Campbell, Kelly O’Brien, Kate McDonnell and Nicola Turner, and celebrates the importance of materials through contemporary sculpture and installation art. Large-scale objects and interventions will interact with the architecture of the Chapel.  We are each driven by our materials and engaged with sustainability in our practices. The exhibition runs  27 April - 1 May, 12-6pm daily at Walcot Chapel, Walcot St, Bath BA1 5UG. Private View Tuesday, 26 April, 6-8pm

Special Events: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/materiality-tickets-295143270467

Salon, Thursday 28 April, 7-10pm.  Join us in the candlelit Walcot Chapel to eat, drink and share thoughts on materiality, facilitated by Professor Alf Coles. Tickets: £10.

Sculpture Workshop with me, Sunday 1 May, 11am-1pm.  Focusing on flora and fauna, you will be creating a sculpture using recycled and found materials. For ages 10+ to adult. Tickets: £12.

Artist Talks, Sunday 1 May, 2.30-3.30pm. An informal, in depth look at the works and our practices.  Clare Whistler will be performing her work reflecting on the exhibition. Tickets: FREE!

Numbers are limited so book your place now! Hope to see you there:-)

SAW Greening Art Workshop: 

I’m leading a FREE workshop specifically for Somerset Art Works members, 22nd April (Earth Day), 10am-12.30pm, Somerset Earth Science Centre, Moons Hill Quarry, Stoke St Michael, Radstock, Somerset BA3 5JU. Parking on site, free teas/coffees.

The workshop will investigate artists’ environmental responsibilities, looking at key concepts of Climate Change and the role of the arts: how we can make our practice more sustainable. There will be a presentation, discussion and practical workshop covering a range of 2d and 3d activities using homemade, recycled and found materials.  You’ll be able to create something to take away, and have permanent access to an online resource pack full of relevant information around Greening the Arts. Funded by Somerset Skills & Learning.

It’s free of charge, but £15 deposit is required to secure your place. Full-refund after you attend the event. Book:  https://somersetartworks.org.uk/2022/03/saw-greening-art-project/ Do join me if you’re a SAW member!

International Biennale ‘Transfiguration' NCTRI, Taiwan

It’s the last couple of weeks of my exhibition in Taiwan, 12 Nov-12 April ’22.  I received 2 beautiful exhibition catalogues - see below and here. A short film about my work for the exhibition will be broadcast soon..

I’m still working on ‘Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand', inspired by the plight of pangolins, trafficked and slaughtered in thousands. The installation will be part of an exhibition Together We Rise at Chichester Cathedral with Royal Society of Sculptors members, 27June-6 September, curated by Jacquiline Creswell.

Here’s a film clip about the work:

Circle of Life

Circle of Life is a school project I’m involved in via SPAEDA. I’m working with primary schoolchildren making headdresses, masks and costumes using recycled and found materials, inspired by the Lion King production, African art and ecology. These will come together in a final story/dance performance later this week.

I’m taking part in the Artists for Ukraine exhibition and silent auction, at Black Swan Arts, Frome between 1 - 24 April. Do visit and bid!

New Beginnings, donated to Artists For Ukraine

Delighted to be featured on Art From the Heart winners in March: https://www.artfromheart.co.uk/post/artists-of-the-month-winners-march-2022

Do support by visiting and purchasing from my shop.

I hope to see you at one or more of these events, and in the meantime, warm wishes to you!

Spring Blog

Martydom of the Ten Thousand (detail), work in progress. Photo by Martyn Sheppard

I invited Martyn Sheppard for a studio visit recently to document my pangolin-inspired installation, in progress.  The work will be part of a group exhibition Together We Rise with RSS members at Chichester Cathedral, 27 June-6 Sept, curated by Jacquiline Creswell.

Martydom of the Ten Thousand is inspired by the plight of pangolins, trafficked and slaughtered in thousands. Multiple forms will suspend, rising and pouring. Stifled, vulnerable, ghostly, they suggest pain, loss, death, but also resurrection. There is hope in their elevation. I’m using recycled materials that are wrapped, hand-sewn, tie-dyed with home-made plant inks, and waxed over woven structures. Stitch by stitch, the labour-intensive process speaks of care and repair.

Not only are Pangolins the most trafficked mammal in the world for their scales and meat, but they are also being killed through mis-understanding about their behaviour and ecology. Pangolins are ‘the politest of all wildlife species!’ (SWARA magazine). Pangolins are gentle and shy, they roll into a ball when under threat, and only eat ants and termites, but many people fear them. Awareness and education about them is vital for their survival, along with farming practices that promote healthy soils - non-toxic to insects - to support bio-diversity. There is no evidence that the keratin in their scales have any medicinal value.

I’m excited to be working with SPAEDA (Alice Crane) again for Circle of Life, a project at Churchstanton Primary, inspired by the Lion King production, which the whole school will be visiting. We will be making collaborative costumes/headdresses, and there will be dance and music. 

I’m also delighted to have been selected as a creative practitioner for Lifebeat's Art in Somerset Schools project later this month, with an arts and wellbeing focus.

Giant Snowdrops, Collett Park, Shepton Mallet, Snowdrop Festival

Last month my giant Snowdrop sculptures were installed for a week at the entrance to Collett Park, Shepton Mallet for the Snowdrop Festival. Thanks to Shepton Snowdrops for the commission, Gill and Steve Sakakini for helping me install them, and Jack Robson and Euan Wilmot for helping with the de-install.

I used recycled plastic, fabric, copper and steel for the 3 giant structures, addressing environmental issues of waste, over-consumption, and our plastic oceans.  

During the storms the wind and branches lashed against the bud, causing a bit of damage. But they survived fairly well and shone in sunlight.

As part of the snowdrop festival, I ran a workshop at the Art Bank with some amazing results from participants - most who’d never tried wirework before.
I was thrilled with responses to my sculptures in Gill Sakakini’s‘s Drawing On community drawing session. Gill introduced Georgia O ‘Keeffe to the group, so drawings were influenced by her work (and mine).

It was a pleasure to share my practice in an online talk with students at Art Academy London. I chatted about the trajectory of my art career to date - particularly residencies - and how they’ve impacted ongoing work.

Workshops coming up include one focusing on Greening the Arts via Somerset Art Works.  I’m looking into taking key steps to move my practice forwards in terms of sustainability, and in relation to Postgrowth and Degrowth. More news on this soon.

I visited Louise Bourgeois: The Woven Child at the Hayward Gallery recently and loved it! I spent a long time at the exhibition looking, thinking and sketching. Bourgeois’ juxtaposition of soft and hard materials and her tactile marks of making - particularly stitch, are so expressive of vulnerability, anger, pain. I was interested in her use of the needle as metaphor - sometimes gigantic.  And works that captured a pregnant pause:

I’ve always had a fascination with the needle… used to repair the damage… it is never aggressive (Bourgeois). 

My work is currently on exhibition at International Biennale, Paper Fiber Art 2021/22, Change: NTCRI, Nantou 54246, Taiwan; 12 Nov-10 April ’22.

Keep in touch with me via social media: 

Instagram @fionacampbellartist

Facebook @fionasculpture

Twitter @fionasculpture

Finally, as a valued follower, I’m offering you a special Spring discount of 10% off any item in my shop.  Use code FISPRING22 at checkout to claim your discount. Hurry - it expires on 31st March 2022!

Gathering

January is supposed to be a time for reflection, but with many projects gathering and colliding, it was full-on for me!  I think it was my busiest January ever. On the last day of the month I celebrated and took a much-needed breather with friends at Dawlish Warren beach - while collecting all sorts of goodies for ongoing work ;-)

Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand

I’m developing my series of multi-forms for an exhibition later this year: Together We Rise, Chichester Cathedral with RSS members, curated by Jacquiline Creswell.  The work’s inspired by the plight of pangolins, slaughtered/shipped in their thousands, wildlife wet markets and animal extinctions. The working title is Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand, after a series of Renaissance paintings (mainly by Durer) of the same title.

Stitch by stitch, a growing collection is slowly gathering in my studio (images above). I’m using recycled materials that are layered, hand-stitched, wrapped, tie-dyed with plant-based inks, and waxed over woven structures.  It’ll take me a few months, but I’m enjoying the labour-intensive process, which relates to care and repair. I still need to make about 25 more, so it’ll be head down for a few more months!

RSS Talk

I really enjoyed sharing my work in an online talk I gave last week to RSS members. I was so grateful and moved by the responses and feedback, and feeling energised from the conversations. Thanks to Simon Hitchens for inviting me to share my work. Image 1 (below) by Rebecca Newnham - diagram about interconnection while listening to my talk. Image 2: collage done in Sculptors Drawing Space - thinking through ideas for my installation.

Snowdrop Festival

I’ve been commissioned to make 3 giant snowdrop sculptures for the Snowdrop Festival, Shepton Mallet, 19-20 February.  A lot of time is spent gathering materials. I’m using recycled copper piping and wire for the structures and grateful for contributions from Cranmore/Dean residents of plastic and tent fabric, which will be added as a ‘skin’ for the petals, stems and leaves. Do visit the festival if you’re nearby and look out for the sculptures at the entrance to Collett Park, opposite Whitstone School, Shepton Mallet during the Festival.  

As part of the Festival, I’ll be running a wire sculpture workshop at The Art Bank BA4 5AA on Thursday 24th Feb, 10.30am-1.30pm. Further info here.

Pyre

Pyre is currently on show in Transfiguration, International Biennal 2021, National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute, Taiwan, until 12th April ‘22.

I have an image in the solargraphic exhibition Slow Time, at Black Swan Arts. It shows a collection of long-exposure photographs of Somerset landscapes created with recycled drinks cans. I loved learnng about the process in a workshop with Janette Kerr and John Gammans, and looking forward to making more sun trail images with my newly created pin hole can/cameras.

Online sculpture Course

We’re coming up to the final week of a 5-week online course I’ve been running. I’m delighted with the experimental nature of work-in-progress by participants and their feedback so far.  Participants are from various parts of UK and USA, including MA students, art enthusiasts and one who is doing it for a second time.  Content (focused on 3d work using recycled/found materials) includes a weekly blog with content-rich info/demos, Zoom sessions, 1-to-1s, What’s app and instagram sharing: #onlinesculpturecourse2022. Looking forward to our final zoom presentations next week!

Private Tutoring

I’ve started tutoring privately, and enjoying it.  If you’re interested in being tutored in art let me know!

Featured in a Blog

Thanks to Ruth Connolly for her excellent blog which features a section about about my work and practice related to nature and environment, and work I made supporting the brilliant initiative #artforyourworld (via #artistsupportpledge). The donation to World Wildlife Fund from a sale was a small gesture towards helping important environmental projects.

Shop

I have signed giclee prints, original drawings and sculptures for sale - do have a look.

Coming soon:

Workshops and resources are being developed with SAW for Greening the Arts - more info soon.

Books

I’m currently reading Merlin Sheldrake’s Entangeld Life and loving it! ‘ As.. vexed hierarchies.. soften, our ruinous attitudes towards the more-than-human world may start to change… ’We’ are ecosystems that span boundaries and transgress categories…Mycelium is… the living seam by which much of our world is stitched into relation… Nature is an event that never stops’..

And I recently read All We Can Save as part of a book circle initiated by Kelly O’Brien. ‘My heart is moved by all I cannot save:

so much has been destroyed

..’ Adrienne Rich

I recommend them both!