about

Statement

My practise ranges from creating site specific works for public spaces and making sculptural works and installations for gallery exhibition.

When working for a public art commission I like to be involved as early as possible in the build process to enable the best use of the art works in the space. I work with project managers, architects, builders, engineers and the users of the building on detailed plans and development. Understanding how the spaces will be used is crucial to these projects and in equal measure successfully imparting to users of the buildings what I can bring to spaces with the art work and design. I want to create sculptures and signage and designs that engage people. I am always pleased when a piece is taken to heart by the people around and in the case of Alder Hey children’s hospital my fox character sitting on a bench has been given a diamanté collar and is stroked on the nose for good luck.

My exhibition work of smaller sculptures and installations informs the larger work -for instance the essence of a small sculpture made of tin becoming a larger bronze piece in a public place where it is touched by people.

In my figurative work I am interested in narrative and inspiration comes from observing scenarios around me and the gestures of people, their moods and character. I work a lot with discarded materials, enjoying the process of repurposing (something I have done since childhood)

I am fascinated by materials, the different qualities they have, both practically and aesthetically. Most recently I have been making installations about materials and buildings inspired by memory. These are comprised of many materials, found and made, such as soap, wax, cuttle fish bone, ceramic sculptures and tar. The process of making these installations has been very much constructing while conjuring a memory or idea and using all the materials and the elements I have previously made to work in an improvised way. This process sparking new ideas and memories and has sent me scurrying out in to the streets to find another material. And because of the small scale I am working at changes the scale of things this created a new fascination for stuff such as rubble and tarmac and sand.

My back ground has been in ceramics and textiles (both my parents were ceramists and my art degree was weave and print) although my interest in these continues (I make my own clothes and print fabric and I have recently been making ceramic pieces again) I moved quickly after art school from these disciplines to making sculpture out of metals and inventing my own way with working. Beginning with constructing small soldered wire and tin automata pieces and then with other metals - larger riveted works in copper and bronze and cast iron. I am often incorporating found objects and combining materials. I think I like that there is no one discipline so that I could invent ways to work away from rules that might normally apply.