Title: ‘Cut down, built up’ is a series of new sculptural pieces I’m working on. Where I’m exploring balance in relation to sustainability and the built environment. To make the sculptures I’m using wood off cuts from a carpenters workshop. Some of the wood is certified Sapele, a hard wood from the African rainforest that was cut under license. Sepele is also know as African Mahogany. New pieces from this collection will be exhibited as part of the exhibition titled:
New Artwork by The Salon Collective
at The Lighthouse, Poole, Dorset, UK.
18 September – 30 October
Tuesday – Saturday
10am – 9pm
COVID: Their Souls take flight:
This work is a respectful dedication to those who have lost their lives to Coronavirus. The ongoing work comprises small and large scale pieces on different surfaces depicting many coloured birds in flight.
Growing and Producing:
Inspired by an exhibition I visited some time ago at Hauser & Wirth Somerset, titled: ‘The land we live in, the land we left behind’ curated by Adam Sutherland. Which explored the contradictory nature of society’s relationship to the rural. It brought together work by artists from around the world and spanned centuries from the 1500’s to the present. the title of the exhibition referred to a toast used by migrants in the 18th and 19th centuries, which celebrated the land they live in and the land they came from. Here is a link for more information on that exhibition: https://www.hauserwirth.com/hauser-wirth-exhibitions/6232-the-land-we-live-in-the-land-we-left-behind
In response to this exhibition, and in particular the ‘produce, growing and processing’ element that engaged the viewer in food production. I have made, through the process of: planting, tending, picking, sorting, drying and packaging. A small selection of limited edition herbs and preserves. Borrowing the artistic term ‘limited edition’ on the labels, I am referencing the limitation of the small crop used, until the next seasons harvest or renewed growth. Added to this I included a website to illustrates the current norm of display and selling through the internet. This type of produce historically would have been bartered, sold at market and generally swapped, traded and gifted. The website link where the limited edition herbs and preserves can be viewed and purchased is: http://www.dorsetgardenproduce.com
Further research for this project I looked at the artist: Fernando Garcia-Dory. A fascinating, boundary pushing, artist who’s work investigates the role of territories, culture, goe-politics ……..Using as a platform agro-ecological projects and actions……Shaped as it is by weather, season, harvests etc…… His web site for more information is: https://www.fernandogarciadory.info
Makings:
I have titled my collection of herbs and preserves: ‘Earth Food Life’. As mentioned above, this is a number of limited edition preserves and herbs, inspired by the 2018 exhibition titled ‘The land we live in, the land we left behind’ at Hauser & Wirth in Somerset, UK. At which, I left a selection of my ‘Ash panel’ bookmarks to be given to visitors. I find myself revisiting this exhibition now and then.
The art in that show, particularly items that reflected the way earlier settlers to the USA produced, processed and preserved the food they needed, has informed my response. I’m interested in how this kind of making, including process and finished items are depicted under an artistic umbrella. Further how it formed, and informed that exhibition.
Is what I’ve made, art? Well, for me its more an extension of my creativity, a part of my everyday life, and as mentioned earlier a response to the Exhibition which I thought might be interesting to share.
Online Gallery & Consultancy 