Statement
I’m a visual artist working predominantly in experimental photography. I use cameraless and lens based methods, both ancient and modern, such as Lumen Printing, Cyanotypes, Analogue and Digital Photography and work in collaboration with the organisms that are the subject of my study. I complement my work with found or made sculptural objects.
My practice is concerned with the fragility of nature and how we have become so disconnected from it and our animal being. I’m fascinated by the transformative processes found in nature such as growth and decay, and the ability of organisms such as earthworms, fungi and bacteria to dramatically transform the environment. My work is largely informed by my deep engagement with and close observation of nature: ’feeling my way intellectually into the inner heart of a thing to locate what is unique and inexpressible in it’ (Henri Bergson). To that end I work in assistance with the organisms that are the subject of study. I have, for example, corroded film under compost, recorded microbiology of living and rotting matter onto film, planted crops into and through photographic prints, traced the action of earthworms onto light sensitive paper and have screen-printed with ink made from their excrements. These transformative production processes allow me to create a deep connection with the natural world and examine at which point nature becomes an image.
My recent work has been investigating the fermentation process of Symbiotic Cultures of Bacteria and Yeast (SCOBY), recently popularised by the trend for Kombucha. I have used this process to grow material to be used as a photographic surface. Reflection on the meaning of symbiosis led me to deliberately manipulate the balance of the cultures to create distortion and texture mirroring the increasing imbalances within the fabric of society and our ecosystem.
Key references have been Susan Derges, Daro Montag, Ackroyd & Harvey, herman de vries [sic] and Andy Goldsworthy as well as writers and thinkers such as Darwin, Goethe, Robert Macfarlane and Merlin Sheldrake to name just a few.
Biography
I trained as business management assistant in Germany, moved to London and worked my way up from warehouse jobs to operations management. After 10 years I escaped the office in search of a more creative life and turned to study fashion product management where I excelled and discovered the Arts. I went on to study photography at Central Saint Martins followed by Postgraduate Study in print at Royal College of Art.
My Lunar Mare series was selected for Bloomberg New Contemporaries in 2009 and gained praise from Wolfgang Tillmans. I have widely exhibited throughout the UK including Groundwork Gallery, Café Park Gallery, Brighton Photo Fringe, Photofusion, Cornerhouse, APT gallery. Internationally, I have exhibited in New York, Barcelona, Milan, Bielefeld and Cologne. My work and writings have appeared in several publications and I have contributed to seminars and talks. In addition I have run numerous workshops on art and nature and alternative photographic processes. During the pandemic I founded a community project which involved 150 volunteers and produced 2,000 uniforms for the NHS as well as 6,000 for carers and the community, bordering art and practical action for society.
I lived in London for 30 years. Due to Brexit and family changes I currently live and work predominantly in Münster, Germany whilst also continuing to practise in the UK.