.....fanfare and drum roll please.....
......final degree show and completion of BA (Hons) Fine Art Degree....phew!
I'm writing this blog in my pj's!....its actually late at the moment 11.30pm and my brain is on a roll, but its a good feeling!....it's Sunday night and I have had the weekend to reflect on our preview night and come to terms with the fact I now have to make and sell art for a living if the bills are to be paid!
....this blog may take a while to write so bare with me!
....gutted that the photos that I took on the preview night are....rubbish!...the good thing was there were a lot of people... the problem was I simply got a mass of bodies and majority of them were out of focus...I blame it on the Pinot Grigio!....and even more upsetting was I never managed to get a photo of us all together either, double rubbish!
...So the space I was given to exhibit in changed at the last minute....I was a bit concerned about blocking the view of other students work as I had two installation pieces....the lecturers thought my work would look better on a long wall....I put my work out that I thought best represented me as an artist ....and they (the lecturers) only took two pieces away, one of which went in the hallway!...so I was more than happy with my exhibition pieces....in fact the whole experience was really good, we had help with various aspects - Graham and Michael the technicians are just wonderful...and very patient! and advice was always appreciated when the lecturers popped in to see how progress was being made...
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| The grounding of the pieces by the delicate thread really brought the piece together for me |
it took a while to be able to finish of my installation piece "Out look" as I had to wait for the floor to be cleaned.....apparently it had already been done...oups!
...I must admit I was pleasantly surprised when some of my assemblage boxes were incorporated into my space....and I totally agree that less is more!...
...."Contained" these sewing boxes are a symbol of me....my love for sewing and how I am always collecting things...where I am now both literally and mentally and how I have focused and spent time on certain aspects over the last year...
After hand cutting various maps, I wanted something smaller and more delicate....I love the book made of old maps with laser cut details all taken from one pebble...a journey through the pebble...
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| focus on the pebble I used the most |
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| paper cairn of pebbles |
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| a small cairn, uprooted from its natural environment |
My "Cairn" (AKA - Tower of strength) brought a lot of interest, especially when I explained about how it came about. Although maybe not to obvious it is influenced by Louise Bourgeois, her fabric totems really resonated something within me, I find them so powerful...so my representation of me, my family, humans....but represented as pebbles...the order of influences and importance are judged by size. All the pebbles are made up of items of clothing belonging to members of my family. That in itself was so much harder than I thought. The weight of each pebble was also of importance, if a pebble was light in weight it represented that the person was sadly no longer with us. Hand sewn elements represented that persons struggle with skin cancer. All the clothes are poignant as my family love the outdoors and they all reflected something they loved doing. I keep harping on about cloth and its memorable qualities....and I wanted it to be the same height as me...
...My Dad: the largest, at the bottom, made up of some of his clothes, his love for shooting and the countryside always makes me smile...sadly he died 6 years ago. My step mum brought me some other golfing clothes - his other passion - but when she handed them to me, lovingly folded and holding them to her heart before she handed them to me....blimey, it broke my heart and I just couldn't bring myself to cut them up or use them, the gesture showed how much he is missed....I have to confess I cried for an entire day...sat with all these clothes around me of family members not here....I know I wanted to use cloth as it holds so many memories but...I had not expected the reaction I had towards cutting them up or incorporating them into my work...
My brother brought various items, he loves hockey, cycling, shooting and so I was spoilt for choice. He has struggled with skin cancer for 19 years. He has had some serious operations but always stays positive and never lets on, well to me if it fazes him....I love him to pieces and we are very close.... his pebble is covered in scars!....next is a joint pebble...me, my brother and my mum!...my mum died when I was 8 of skin cancer, the only piece of clothing I have of hers is her college scarf...I carefully sewed it to one of my old university hoodies...my brother also went to University of Hull...so its our common bond, we all studied to better ourselves...its all hand sewn and half filled with small polystyrene balls and very fluid and soft.....the next one is my step mum and dad....brought together with their old gardening clothes...something else they enjoyed and shared together...Hubby's pebble is made of his old jumper...soft and forgiving!...and with the sleeves incorporated it means that it can give you a hug and it'll hug back!....I found my daughter sat with it watching TV!
I had a discussion with my kids as to how they wanted to be represented....individual, two that fit together, size etc....it lead to interesting discussions and Paige spent ages choosing something that represented her....summer dresses, shorts, lace things she wore all last summer on the beach with her friends, happy memories!...my son Connor does Parkour and he gave me the t-shirt we made together for his GCSE artwork all about him and his outdoor love....however it was a white t-shirt and in reality it would have been only white for a second if he was really wearing it! my step sister's pebble is small like her and covered with one of her running t-shirts and a bit of wedding fabric I had left from her wedding.
There are a total of 5 pebbles that represent me....5 small operations I have had to remove melanomas, two malignant. The top one is the gloves I have worn at uni for the last 3 years, hand sewn and joined together, resting protectively over my crazy, wonderful and loving family....so the cairn explained!
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| "19 + 1" |
This piece is part of a range of art I am going to put in Scarborough Hospital...
....through a commission with HAFNEY I have been mentored on how to produce public art. Using my art I have included a silent narrative, it reflects my struggle with skin cancer, how my marks on my skin can be damaged by the environment, just like a pebble. This piece "19 + 1" is my 19 years visiting the skin specialist, it all becomes a blur - hence looking at pebbles through water!....the last one, the pebble is now, reality.
....so a journey into how and why I have created this body of work....
...I feel relief that I have managed to finish my degree and sadness too as it has flown by and I will miss seeing my fellow students regularly....As a person and an artist I have grown in knowledge and confidence....now all I have to do is put it into practice....I also have the gallery now...Laine & Co... to concentrate on and I also have 3 exhibitions lined up...so already keeping busy and keen to develop my work further....if you want to see some of the degree show work "Mixed Palette - part II"is coming to the gallery ....
....and then ....
hope you have managed to read to the end!
more photos of everyone else's work from the Degree show over the next week, plus snippets from visits to artists taking part in NYOS 2012 - North Yorkshire Open studios...its on next weekend too so if you can, take a peek at some very talented artists who may well be on your doorstep!
