It's a long journey, especially when you're a self-taught dropout, from being a "crafter" or a "maker" to an "artist". There are issues with all these terms and how they're perceived that would be interesting to discuss in another post (makes mental note...). I have been experimenting with the arts for my entire life, but only recently feel I have begun to truly cross the line into fine art.
To that end, I have applied for an open exhibition at a lovely local gallery. The theme is "Inspired by Wales" which is something that could be said of most of my work only insofar as I am often creating pieces with found objects from the region (which is a genuine treasure trove for the artist working in assemblage). But I know where my artistic interests lie at the moment, and it was immediately clear how I could incorporate a Welsh slant into them.
I very pleased to say that the mixed media and found object assemblage pictured here has made it through to the final round of judging, which happens this afternoon. Needless to say, my fingers are firmly crossed.
The details, of course, do not come through in the photo. The cabinet itself I had to buy new but treated with paint effects to suggest aged wood and added antique bronze hardware. The image which forms the backdrop was rescued from the bin and kindly donated by a local hotel. The 17 bottles that form the contents were all excavated from a nearby smallholding. And the contents were scavenged by myself over the period of a couple of weeks and include wool plucked from fences, the most delicate seashells I have ever seen, rainwater from a hilltop, fresh forest air, a handwritten Welsh language poem, chips of slate and coal, and more. It was a beautiful project to work on, grounding me more firmly in my new home and connecting with the varied landscape around me. I hope to do several variations which could be more focused on particular environments or specific sites, and in doing so, to root myself further into the Wild West (of Wales).
To that end, I have applied for an open exhibition at a lovely local gallery. The theme is "Inspired by Wales" which is something that could be said of most of my work only insofar as I am often creating pieces with found objects from the region (which is a genuine treasure trove for the artist working in assemblage). But I know where my artistic interests lie at the moment, and it was immediately clear how I could incorporate a Welsh slant into them.
I very pleased to say that the mixed media and found object assemblage pictured here has made it through to the final round of judging, which happens this afternoon. Needless to say, my fingers are firmly crossed.
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| An Apothecarial Guide to the Landscape of Wales, Mixed Media Assemblage, 2015 |
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