Porto Series 2025
Many of my previous projects have focused on travel, tourism and the souvenir; drawing on a personal response to places and experiences. A recent short holiday to Porto in Portugal reinvigorated my fascination with the act of being a tourist; everything is potential for visual consumption because it is new and different. We all see places with our own visual filter- anything can be a tourist sight and collected particularly through photography. I hadn’t intended to make any work about this trip – it was purely a much needed holiday after nearly two years of work and other commitments. But it was such an inspiring place that it was impossible not to respond creatively.
Sometimes the new catalyst for artwork is unexpected. In the case of this project, the form I’ve focused on is a flattened vase, loosely referencing an ornate commemorative alterpiece vase seen in a museum in Braga, Portugal. My version is not similar visually but its more reflecting the idea of a commemorative vase. A vessel associated with commemoration, ornament, a special object, and a vehicle for narrative that can take a variety of forms. These vases are a form of personal souvenir. They reflect how we visually consume everything, what we choose to see and not see. Minute details are important, as well as the broader view.
The pieces are handbuilt, and then the first layer of imagery is created by stencilled slips, the stencils being based on the images I took around Porto, mainly buildings. Sprigged additions are a reference to the ornament seen on many buildings and religious spaces. There was a great deal of rich multi layered surfaces, from the ornate and highly patterned churches and other religious spaces, and street art and graffiti over every surface. Tiled surfaces, patterned buildings, as well as the intense feel of busy spaces.The photographic decals reflect how we see on holiday, hopping from one sight to another, consuming fragments, snippets and multiple layers. It also makes you think about what is deemed ‘photogenic’, and what is not.
The Altered Animal 2023-24
This series explores our complex relationship with the domestic farm animal. I’ve been looking at the history of how such animals have been manipulated through breeding over time to suit our needs and agenda. I’m particularly interested in how they are presented to us as products through the filter of images/advertising/articles, what is glossed over, and the often polarizing views on the subject.
I want these pieces to be mainly focused on the abstract- familiar vessels that explore surface layering, textures, discord and opposites, contrasts. Contradictions, slight jarring of the slick and glossy with dark textured surfaces. Altering and distorting the form, cutting into the surface/through the walls of the pieces. Snippets of texts (taken from various articles/books) refer to the language of how animals are described and their ‘function’…intentionally hard to read, it reflects the overwhelming and complex layers of language and texts around the subject of farming and food. Some include decals: made from drawings I’ve created on paper then altered digitally. These are based on sourced stock photos. So the final fired imagery is very removed from the original animal portrayed in the photo.
Other previous projects
Snapshots of the museum 2021-22
The work in this series is informed by multiple objects in The National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh. I’ve always had a lot of interest in museum collections generally; how objects are chosen and grouped and, perhaps, what is left out. Its particularly interesting how by being in this context, objects that were previously insignificant are given a new status or value. Their new function is to be a part of the museum narrative; snapshots of particular times, places, cultures and contexts. I was looking at the taxidermy collection with a particular focus on the extinct or endangered species (mostly birds). Previous work has also explored these collections and I carried out a lot of research into taxidermy a few years ago. I often go back to subject material and reinterpret it; my creative process is often circular. Taxidermy is of course a complex and controversial subject; and I think its purpose now is to educate about aspects of social history (attitudes to animals in the 1800s compared to now for example). These animals are long gone, but they offer a physical reminder of humans’ need to dominate and manipulate other species. The vessel forms are a loose interpretation of a variety of objects – including antique lightbulbs, perfume bottles and glass vials and tiny decorated snuff boxes, and have been developed into familiar vessel forms: vases, bottles and lidded boxes.
Contained Flora project 2020-21
This project began with the subject of formal and botanic gardens; and an interest in the structuring and ordering of nature and collecting and classifying the organic. As lockdown restrictions came into place early on in the project, the photographs/sketches/notes gathered in early 2020 in the Royal Botanic Gardens took on more significance as a snapshot of those moments, pinning down specific visits and seasons. I also began to draw my own house plants during prolonged stays at home, focusing on this almost miniature world away from the outside. The repetition of drawing became important, as a way to move the project forward and as a way to distract from the bigger issues. Ironically the original interest was in how we try to contain and control the organic, and yet we became the ones contained whilst the gardens continued to grow. Most of my drawings concentrated on the closeup of leaves, rather than as I originally anticipated of the wider garden space, and often those fallen and layered on the ground. Photos by A. Clark.
Various series of work reflecting trips within mainland Europe; and museum taxidermy display.
