Artist statement
My practice is concerned with:
• the crafting of objects, with a particular interest in the multiple
• materials, process, techniques and time
• site and placement
• connection between ideas and people.
My work can be seen as my attempt to assuage some of the feeling of separateness that is part of the human condition. As an artist I feel responsible for sifting and sorting the world and its ‘stuff’ and try to distill a thought or a recognition into a piece that can draw and hold people long enough for them to engage and make their own associations.
Work ranges from the monumental to the minute and I bring objects and materials together to draw out new possibilities. I am equally comfortable making work that is intimate and tiny employing similar repetitive action to render larger scale visualisations.
Materials and techniques are diverse. I have always worked in a cross-disciplinary manner and employ gold leaf, found objects, paper, yarn, neon, lava, sheepskin parchment, photography, cloth and glass.
The First Law of the Conservation of Energy is something I often think about. In this law Einstein stated that energy is neither created nor destroyed but can only be changed from one state to another. I believe that making work is a transmission of energy, the time spent making a piece lends it a life force or anima.
A desire to take work out of a gallery environment into the public realm and to draw attention to the beauty within the everyday is illustrated most visibly in the project 'Bound', which draws upon key elements within my practice.
Bound
2003-2006
Cotton wrapped ancient deceased trees across the 13 old counties of Wales.
An ACW Creative Wales Award supported project to identify and wrap an ancient dead tree in each of the 13 old counties of Wales. I wanted to bring art into the natural environment and create something arresting and inspiring. ‘Revealing through Concealing’ this project effected a temporary and effective change in the landscape and drew communities together, bringing renewed awareness of the history of the object. I was interested in questioning boundaries, landmarks and man’s appropriation and use of the land. The project was also about time spent in the landscape - making a physical connection to place.
On a personal level the project was very much about taking time to get to know the landscape and people in the local communities. The binding of the trees’ limbs with cloth took tenacity and care. The work became a meditation upon the past, present and future of our selves in relationship to changing landscapes and on the ‘life’ of these sentinel beings.
Current and forthcoming events
- September 2011 - September 2013: Darning the Land: Seam, Maurice Lea Park, Swadlincote (more info)
Employment
- 2004 Principle Lecturer, Cardiff School of Art & Design, Cardiff Metropolitan, Cardiff
Solo exhibitions
- 2007 Philippa Lawrence, Glynn Vivian Museum & Art Gallery, Swansea, Wales
- 2006 Philippa Lawrence, Oriel Davies, Newtown, Wales
- 2001 Glow, Glynn Vivian Museum & Art Gallery, Swansea, Wales
Group exhibitions
- 2011 Bite-Size, Daiwa Anglo Foundation, London (more info)
- 2011 Nature Unframed, Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois
- 2010 Spike Open, Spike Island, Bristol
- 2009 Tell it to the Trees, Croft Castle, Leominster
- 2009 Spike Open, Spike Island, Bristol
- 2008 Spike Open, Spike Island, Bristol
- 2007 Land, Millennium Centre & University of Glamorgan, Cardiff
- 2007 Spike Open, Spike Island, Bristol
- 2006 'Sense in Place', Siteations, Reykjavik, Iceland
- 2005 Anima, B312, Montreal, Canada
- 2005 Reiko Ayogai and Philippa Lawrence, House of Art, Cseke Budejovice, Czech Republic
- 2004 Arts & Crafts Pavilion, Eisteddfod, Newport
- 2004 14th Mostyn Open, Oriel Mostyn, Llanduddno
- 2003 Explorations, National Botanic Garden of Wales, Camarthen
- 2002 Ffresh 3, Chapter Arts Centre & G39, Cardiff
- 2001 Glow, Artspace, Sydney, Australia
- 2000 Purchase Prize, Y Bont, Pontypridd
- 2000 In Our Hands, 5th International Art Competition, Kyoto, Japan
- 2000 Welsh Drawing Biennale
- 1999 Not For Sale, Centre for Visual Arts, Cardiff
- 1998 Pistoll/Dryl, G39, Cardiff
- 1998 Out of Site, Chapter Arts Centre
- 1998 Welsh Drawing Biennale
- 1996 Art Textiles, Bury St Edmunds Gallery
- 1996 Revelation, Maidstone Library, Kent
- 1996 Angels and Mechanics, Watermans Art Centre and Riverside Studios, London
- 1995 Context, Gardner Arts Centre, Brighton
- 1993 Art in Technology, Royal College of Art
Public commissions
- 2011 Bound V-57,, Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois, USA
- 2011 Barcode: FB814, Meadow Arts, Mortimer forest, Nr Ludlow
- 2008 Inner Gateway Sculpture, Memorial Hospital, Llandrindod Wells, Wales
- 2003 Explorations, National Botanic Garden of Wales, Carmarthen
Projects
- 2010 Re:place, Melbourne & Swadlincote, Derbyshire
- 2003 Bound, Across the 13 old counties, Wales
Competitions, prizes and awards
- 2008 Welsh Artist of the Year, St Davids Hall, Cardiff, Wales
- 2005 Production Award, Arts Council of Wales, Wales
- 2003 Creative Wales Award, Arts Council of Wales, Wales
- 2000 Purchase Prize, University of Glamorgan, Wales
Site specific
- 2011 'Darning the Land; Seam', Maurice Lea Memorial Park, Swadlincote
Publications
- 2008 Amelias Magazine
- 2008 Embroidery Magazine
- 2007 Landcape Review
- 2007 Gardens Illustrated
- 2006 Site-ations Catalogue
- 2006 Philippa Lawrence Catalogue
- 2006 Breaking Ground
- 2005 Anima, Catalogue
- 2005 Re-Imaging Wales
- 2003 Imaging Wales
Personal website
