Artist statement
Concepts
My work is 'about' rather than 'of' landscape. I prefer to get involved with a landscape and aim to say something about its past and present. I am especially interested in the impact that mankind has had on the land through industrial, agricultural, ritual and military use and increasingly with ecological issues. I was commissioned by the British Library to make a body of work called Moths and Moons as a contemporary response to the Lindisfarne Gospels and have subsequently become interested in the book as subject and object, recycling discarded books and found objects to form new meanings. This was also the beginning of my interest in moths as subject and motif.
Influences
My ideas tend to spring from particular landscapes but also from a diverse range of other subjects such as entomology, ornithology, archaeology, the history of scientific thought and space exploration. I have been most influenced by medieval painting, tribal textiles and English watercolourists of the 18th and 19th century and increasingly work with museum collections.
Career path
I studied Fine Art at Wimbledon and Chelsea Schools of Art. I have worked on many collaborative and educational projects and am currently involved in work with The Oriental Museum at Durham University and The Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle. For the past two years I have been acting as Associate Artist to ROBUST, a Durham University research project investigating the regeneration of heavily contaminated industrial sites.
Current and forthcoming events
- June 2013: Returning to the Philosopher's Table, Newcastle Philosophical Society, Newcastle-upon-tyne (more info)
- July - September 2013: Patterns of Migration, Bede's World, Jarrow (more info)
Qualifications and training
- 1984 PGCE Art and Design, Brighton Polytechnic, Brighton
- 1980 MA Painting, Chelsea School of Art, London
- 1979 BA Hons (First) Fine Art, Wimbledon School of Art, London
Solo exhibitions
- 2012 The Mountains of the Moon, The Oriental Museum, Durham University
- 2011 Seismographical Drawings, School of Engineering and Computer Science, Durham University
- 2011 Shafts and Levels, Teikyo University of japan, Durham University
- 2011 Earth's Core - Exploratory Drawings, School of Engineering and Computer Science, Durham University
- 2011 Gallery of Wonder - Dust and Shadows, Great North Museum:Hancock, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne
- 2009 Mapping the Dark, The Garden Station, Langley, Northumberland
- 2008 ‘Dust to Dust’, Vennel’s Café-Bar as part of Durham Arts Festival, Durham
- 2007 ‘Carpet Pages’, Institute for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Durham University
- 2007 ‘Reliquiae’, Drumcroon Gallery, Wigan
- 2006 ‘Time and Tide’, Bedes World Museum and Heritage Site, Jarrow, Tyne and Wear
- 2004 Moths and Moons, touring galleries and museums for the British Library, North of England
- 2000 Cyprus Sweet, Bishop Auckland Town Hall Gallery, Bishop Auckland
- 1998 Eternal Youth, Digital Fesco for the Spennymoor Settlement
- 1997 Elements and Wired with Carey Young, Zone Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne
- 1996 'X-rays', multi-media installation, Spennymoor School, Durham
- 1994 'Ulverston Series - a Cycle of Digital Frescoes', Middlesbrough City Art Gallery, Middlesbrough
- 1984 The Running of The Deer, Paintings, Queens Hall Arts Centre, Hexham, Northumberland
Group exhibitions
- 2013 Cabinets of Curiosities, Room of Wonder, Borough Museum, Newcastle-under-Lyme
- 2012 Four Legs Good, Beetroot Tree Gallery, Draycott, Derbyshire
- 2012 Pollok House, Pollok House, Glasgow (more info)
- 2012 Swept Away - dirt, dust and ashes in contemporary art, Museum of Arts and Design, New York
- 2011 Icon, Water Street Gallery, Todmorden, Lancashire
- 2010 Gallery Artists Show, Water Street Gallery, Todmorden, Lancashire
- 2010 Dust and Shadows, Saltburn Artists Cooperative, Saltburn, Cleveland
- 2009 Christmas Exhibition, Bianco Nero Gallery, Stokesly, N. Yorkshire
- 2009 Place, Identity, Memory, Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries
- 2009 ROBUST, Engineering Department, Durham University
- 2009 Wing and a Prayer, Dorman Museum, Middlesbrough
- 2009 Birds, Bees, Butterflies, Chapel Row Gallery, Bath
- 2008 Durham Book Festival, The Oriental Museum, Durham (more info)
- 2008 Public Library, The Oriental Museum, Durham University
- 2008 ‘Shelter’, Wedeman Gallery MA, Pyramid Atlantic MD, Fleet Library RI, 301 Gallery MA, String Room Gallery NY, USA
- 2007 ‘After Get Carter’, Antioch House (Frances Thirlway Fine Art), Durham
- 2007 'Rich and Strange’, University of Wales, Newport
- 2007 'Prince of Flowers’ Linneaus tercentenary, Crook Hall, Durham
- 2006 International Art Fair, Frances Thirlway Fine Art, Edinburgh
- 2006 'The Draughtsman’s Contract’, Crook Hall, Durham
- 2005 'Signs and Portents’, Antioch House (Frances Thirlway Fine Art), Durham
- 2005 ‘A Rich Seam’, Branspeth Castle (Frances Thirlway Fine Art), Durham
- 2005 Group Show, The Picture House, Harrogate
- 2004 Three Not of a Kind, Seasons Gallery, Durham
- 2003 15 Minutes with Giotto, Huddersfield Art Gallery, Huddersfield and John Ruskin Museum, Coniston
- 2002 Durham Open Exhibition, DLI, Durham
- 1999 The People Show, Northumbria University Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne
- 1998 Links and Connections, Vardy Gallery, University of Sunderland and 'L' Gallery, Moscow
- 1998 Natural Selection, Multi-media installation with Anton Hecht, Tully House Museum, Carlisle
- 1997 Spennyopolis, Multi-media nstallation with Anton Hecht, Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle
- 1990 Three Person Show, Linton Court Gallery, Settle
- 1983 Gallery 7, Newcastle upon Tyne
- 1983 Sunderland Art Centre
Public commissions
- 2012 Pieces of Sky, Wirksworth Festival, Derbyshire
Projects
- 2009 ROBUST, School of Engineering and Computer Sciences, Durham University
- 2008 'Watch This Space’, MIMA, Middlesbrough
- 2008 ‘Scanned’, Bowes Museum, funded by the Wallace Collection and the James Knott Foundation, Barnard Castle
- 2007 'Silk Threads’, project with artist/travellers Denise Bryan and Adrian Wilkins funded by the Ragdoll Foundation, Oriental Museum, University of Durham
- 2006 'The Unity of Being’, Institute of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Durham University
- 2004 'Painted Labyrinth’, British Library, London
Competitions, prizes and awards
- 2006 Travel Bursary to work in Venice, A4, Association of Art Inspectors and Advisors
- 2001 National Artworks Awards, Clore Foundation, Tate Modern
- 2000 National Artworks Awards, Clore Foundation, Tate Modern
- 1997 'Eternal Youth’ National Lottery Award, Spennymoor Settlement, Durham
- 1994 Northern ArtsArtists Awards, Northern Arts, NE
Educational experience - secondary
- 1990 Head of Art, Spennymoor School, Spennymoor School, Durham
- 1985 Teacher of Art, Grange School, Oldham
Web links - gallery/work/projects
Web links - article/press
Personal website
