Artist’s notes

A few pics of some reworked monoprints, which felt a bit thin! The dots are my finger prints…. No title as yet. August is going to be about being in the studio

This piece – Tea Caddy – is going into the upcoming Sugar and Spice exhibition organised by Plastic Propaganda at Devon House, St Katherine Dock.

The battered appearance of this paper sculpture is a deliberate reflection of the complex history of tea as a global product … war, ethnic displacement and tensions, amoral trade, monopolies, colonialism but also a contribution to world prosperity.

Am stuck at the computer with a painful shoulder and painful leg so thought a brief update on activity might be a good distraction and more fun than tidying my office…

I organised my first open studio with studio colleagues and three invited artists from 8-10 July. An experience to be repeated! We had a good number of visitors and there was a real buzz. Good news for the arts in Dover!

I’m also working with Helen Lindon and Joanna Jones on a collaborative project for SALT 2016 in Folkestone, building on last year’s collaboration with the same two artists. More on that over the summer.

I’ve been getting on with my professional development project involving resin and paper, which I am excited about and have just finished a Carnival-inspired project for DAD with 8 local schools.

Oh and I have a piece going into the Sugar ‘n Spice show organised by Plastic Propaganda in August.

I’m really pleased to have two pieces of work in this exhibition organised by Plastic Propaganda. The first edition was shown at the A.P.T. gallery in Deptford and now it tours to Folkestone, with some new artists.

Press release

From Monday 4 July to Friday 22 July, Plastic Propaganda will be presenting their latest art exhibition at the Sassoon Gallery, Folkestone Library, Folkestone Kent  

Throughout the History of Art, madness and an associated range of pathologies, creative and otherwise, have informed and often accompanied the execution of artistic practice. Since antiquity, thinkers have associated creativity with psychopathology—the classic idea of the “mad genius” with stereotypes taken from both mass culture and fine art traditions.  Examples include, for example, the manic pursuit and creation of the perfect artefact or object to the recognition of creative practice per se as a displacement from trauma, addiction and illness or indeed as a therapeutic and reflexive response to such.

The exhibition will include work by a range of contemporary artists including Richard Brooks, John Butterworth, Emily Jane Campbell, Anjula Crocker, Deborah Crofts , Dom Elsner, Jez Giddings, Lucy Gresley, William Henry, Mark Howland, Sarah Needham, Angus Pryor, Clare Smith , Kamilla Sztyber ,Sally Ward and Heidi Yssennagger.

In addition to the main exhibition, from 6pm until 8pm on Thursday 21 July there will be a public symposium which will explore and discuss some of the issues and themes suggested by the exhibition, including the iconography and content of specific works on display. There will be an open Q&A session with involvement warmly invited from the audience and members of the general public. The symposium panel contributors will include, Angus Pryor, Dr Grant Pooke, and  John Butterworth.

For more information, please visit www.plasticpropaganda.co.uk or email [email protected] 07775 916737

List of participating artists:

Richard Brooks, John Butterworth,  Emily Jane Campbell, Anjula Crocker, Deborah Crofts, Dom Elsner, Jez Widdings, Lucy Gresley, Mark Howland, William Henry, Sarah Needham, Angus Pryor, Clare Smith, Kamilla Szyber, Sally Ward, Heidi Yssennagger

The exhibiting artists represent a range of media, including painting, sculpture, printmaking, photographic and audiovisual practice. Their individual CV’s can be viewed on our website www.plasticpropaganda.co.uk