Frequently asked questions
I regularly receive enquiries from students who are interested in my work, but I do not always have time to assist students in their studies. The following is a selection of answers, to frequently asked questions, about my practice and is included on the website to help enquirers.
How do you categorise your practice?
The work is always led by a concept rather than by material or process. This has meant that the general term of artist, rather than a narrower categorisation, is appropriate as a title.
Do you enjoy working on collaborative projects?
I happily embrace the notion of working collaboratively on projects and often choose to engage other creatives in order to add another dynamic to the work.
For example, in Personal Baggage I chose to work with international documentary photographer Vince Bevan. We approached the Personal Baggage project from various standpoints including intimate portraiture engagements, group led activities such as the fashion shoot with the youth group, and school workshops. (For more information refer to Residencies pages - Personal Baggage, and follow the link www.vincebevan.co.uk )
In Feast, a dance leader was engaged to work with a local dance troupe to animate the sculptures I had made. (For more information refer to Residencies pages – Feast, and follow the link www.actionfactory.org )
As lead creative with Creative Partnerships the work at Parkview School fully utilises my philosophy of reaping the manifold benefits of incorporating other artforms into projects. (For more information about Creative Partnerships follow link www.creative-partnerships.com )
Do you think titles are an important aspect of your work?
Titling the work is a very important part of the process. It requires both sensibility to the piece and an intuitiveness to gauge the level of engagement and insight the title may bring from the viewer. A piece of work can take on a whole new dynamic with a strong title. Selecting titles can be a lengthy process and often includes presenting a selection to friends and family to gauge reaction.
Why did you decide to write a book?
The rationale for researching and writing ‘Textile Perspectives in Mixed-Media Sculpture’ arose out of a personal requirement for a distillation of thought that sought to situate my practice in the world of contemporary art. The nature of most artists is to resist categorisation and it is only those outside the immediate practicing circle that demand, for their own convenience, a naming of what artists do and in what context they practice. Knowing that my own idiom balanced on the interface of sculpture and textile art - the opportunity to research a book presented a way to not only discover other practitioners who were also in this position, but also to give precious time to contextualising the work in a wider discourse.
The absence of any publication that discussed these crossovers further awakened my interest to investigate and document a burgeoning area of art. (For more information about my book refer to Publication pages and visit www.crowood.com )
Is involving humour in your work important?
Humour is a useful communication tool and is often employed to connect to an audience. Many of the issues I engage with are sensitive and political and therefore careful handling is particularly necessary.
I also delight in delivering fun-focused artworks, such as ‘Hello Dotty’ or ‘Shocking. Girls just want to have fun’, in contrast to the weighty themes I am often addressing. (For more information refer to Commission pages – Hello Dotty, and Exhibition pages)
How do you measure success in your work?
The work holds more value to me if it has impact on others, especially if it is dealing with a difficult subject. The aim is to stimulate interactions, debate, motivation and reaction and therefore if this is apparent a measure of success can be said to have been achieved.
For example, by influencing the way people perceive waste, a difference can be made to the problem. Evaluation reports and surveys about the residencies, workshops and exhibitions have assessed their impact to be powerful and sustaining. The participants in the Personal Baggage project were all surveyed to assess their experiences and the individual value of the project. Most felt better informed about waste, and valued the opportunity to express themselves to others, which they hoped would in turn make other communities feel different about the subject. (For more information refer to Residencies pages - Personal Baggage and follow the link www.copelandbc.gov.uk/personalbaggage )
A significant amount of time in your practice is spent as a mediator. How do you manage this within your practice?
Over the years the role as a mediator has grown until it is now an important part of my practice. For an artist the role of mediator has different demands whether I work with organisations or individuals. Entering the domain of an organisation or community, as a creative filter, is a privileged position. The engagement necessitates that a respectful dialogue is developed and nurtured.
For example, in Personal Baggage the liaison between industry and the community of Distington was challenging. The activities devised were there to let the villagers have a voice about living with landfill and other people’s rubbish. The workshops engaged all sectors of the community and the responses were wide ranging and reflective of the situation. The aim was to not only let the community air their views but also to let their neighbours in Copeland and Allerdale boroughs consider the impact that their waste habits had on others. The exhibition toured around the council areas in locations that were accessible to a wide range of the public. Venues included; village halls, civic halls, heritage centers and schools. Local groups and schools were invited to visit the exhibition and engage through a series of talks and workshops held at the exhibition venues. Visitors were surveyed and an evaluation document was produced which measured the impact on visitors. . (For more information refer to Residencies pages - Personal Baggage, and follow the link www.copelandbc.gov.uk/personalbaggage )
Why do you often choose to work with waste material?
The creation of beautiful objects is not the goal of my practice. The primary focus is in communicating concepts to an audience. Materials that have had a previous life are the most creatively challenging as it is the journey of transformation that keeps me stimulated. The changing of scale, construction method, and material all assist in engaging the viewer.
Do you find that you are drawn to a particular material?
There is not a palette of materials that I adopt repeatedly, but instead materials are selected as appropriate to address the concept. Consequently, no type of material is excluded for consideration – the palate to date include compost, old plastic, scrap metal, discarded foam, scrap cardboard and paper, wood scraps, discarded textiles and recycled glass.
Are there any problems in working with waste materials?
Working with old materials presents many problems and developing ways of managing and overcoming these has become essential. Firstly, an expectation that the finished work should be perfect is unrealistic because the materials are usually damaged, soiled and irregular. Source and supply is a major challenge, especially for work which employs multiples of materials. For example, in the chesterfield sofa for ‘Wasted’, “Are you sitting comfortably?” 15,000 old plastic carrier bags were sorted through in order to find 10,000 suitable to use. Negotiations were made with Safeway supermarket in order to collect enough old bags left by customers. (For more information refer to Residencies pages – Wasted)
Which aspect of the waste problem most interests you?
The reluctance of acceptance of a personal responsibility by the individual, for their own waste, is an issue that particularly intrigues me. This is a major facet of the waste problem. It is a subject that connects with every human being on the planet - each person on average produces 52 tons of waste in a lifetime.
I regularly receive enquiries from students who are interested in my work, but I do not always have time to assist students in their studies. The following is a selection of answers, to frequently asked questions, about my practice and is included on the website to help enquirers.
How do you categorise your practice?
The work is always led by a concept rather than by material or process. This has meant that the general term of artist, rather than a narrower categorisation, is appropriate as a title.
Do you enjoy working on collaborative projects?
I happily embrace the notion of working collaboratively on projects and often choose to engage other creatives in order to add another dynamic to the work.
For example, in Personal Baggage I chose to work with international documentary photographer Vince Bevan. We approached the Personal Baggage project from various standpoints including intimate portraiture engagements, group led activities such as the fashion shoot with the youth group, and school workshops. (For more information refer to Residencies pages - Personal Baggage, and follow the link www.vincebevan.co.uk )
In Feast, a dance leader was engaged to work with a local dance troupe to animate the sculptures I had made. (For more information refer to Residencies pages – Feast, and follow the link www.actionfactory.org )
As lead creative with Creative Partnerships the work at Parkview School fully utilises my philosophy of reaping the manifold benefits of incorporating other artforms into projects. (For more information about Creative Partnerships follow link www.creative-partnerships.com )
Do you think titles are an important aspect of your work?
Titling the work is a very important part of the process. It requires both sensibility to the piece and an intuitiveness to gauge the level of engagement and insight the title may bring from the viewer. A piece of work can take on a whole new dynamic with a strong title. Selecting titles can be a lengthy process and often includes presenting a selection to friends and family to gauge reaction.
Why did you decide to write a book?
The rationale for researching and writing ‘Textile Perspectives in Mixed-Media Sculpture’ arose out of a personal requirement for a distillation of thought that sought to situate my practice in the world of contemporary art. The nature of most artists is to resist categorisation and it is only those outside the immediate practicing circle that demand, for their own convenience, a naming of what artists do and in what context they practice. Knowing that my own idiom balanced on the interface of sculpture and textile art - the opportunity to research a book presented a way to not only discover other practitioners who were also in this position, but also to give precious time to contextualising the work in a wider discourse.
The absence of any publication that discussed these crossovers further awakened my interest to investigate and document a burgeoning area of art. (For more information about my book refer to Publication pages and visit www.crowood.com )
Is involving humour in your work important?
Humour is a useful communication tool and is often employed to connect to an audience. Many of the issues I engage with are sensitive and political and therefore careful handling is particularly necessary.
I also delight in delivering fun-focused artworks, such as ‘Hello Dotty’ or ‘Shocking. Girls just want to have fun’, in contrast to the weighty themes I am often addressing. (For more information refer to Commission pages – Hello Dotty, and Exhibition pages)
How do you measure success in your work?
The work holds more value to me if it has impact on others, especially if it is dealing with a difficult subject. The aim is to stimulate interactions, debate, motivation and reaction and therefore if this is apparent a measure of success can be said to have been achieved.
For example, by influencing the way people perceive waste, a difference can be made to the problem. Evaluation reports and surveys about the residencies, workshops and exhibitions have assessed their impact to be powerful and sustaining. The participants in the Personal Baggage project were all surveyed to assess their experiences and the individual value of the project. Most felt better informed about waste, and valued the opportunity to express themselves to others, which they hoped would in turn make other communities feel different about the subject. (For more information refer to Residencies pages - Personal Baggage and follow the link www.copelandbc.gov.uk/personalbaggage )
A significant amount of time in your practice is spent as a mediator. How do you manage this within your practice?
Over the years the role as a mediator has grown until it is now an important part of my practice. For an artist the role of mediator has different demands whether I work with organisations or individuals. Entering the domain of an organisation or community, as a creative filter, is a privileged position. The engagement necessitates that a respectful dialogue is developed and nurtured.
For example, in Personal Baggage the liaison between industry and the community of Distington was challenging. The activities devised were there to let the villagers have a voice about living with landfill and other people’s rubbish. The workshops engaged all sectors of the community and the responses were wide ranging and reflective of the situation. The aim was to not only let the community air their views but also to let their neighbours in Copeland and Allerdale boroughs consider the impact that their waste habits had on others. The exhibition toured around the council areas in locations that were accessible to a wide range of the public. Venues included; village halls, civic halls, heritage centers and schools. Local groups and schools were invited to visit the exhibition and engage through a series of talks and workshops held at the exhibition venues. Visitors were surveyed and an evaluation document was produced which measured the impact on visitors. . (For more information refer to Residencies pages - Personal Baggage, and follow the link www.copelandbc.gov.uk/personalbaggage )
Why do you often choose to work with waste material?
The creation of beautiful objects is not the goal of my practice. The primary focus is in communicating concepts to an audience. Materials that have had a previous life are the most creatively challenging as it is the journey of transformation that keeps me stimulated. The changing of scale, construction method, and material all assist in engaging the viewer.
Do you find that you are drawn to a particular material?
There is not a palette of materials that I adopt repeatedly, but instead materials are selected as appropriate to address the concept. Consequently, no type of material is excluded for consideration – the palate to date include compost, old plastic, scrap metal, discarded foam, scrap cardboard and paper, wood scraps, discarded textiles and recycled glass.
Are there any problems in working with waste materials?
Working with old materials presents many problems and developing ways of managing and overcoming these has become essential. Firstly, an expectation that the finished work should be perfect is unrealistic because the materials are usually damaged, soiled and irregular. Source and supply is a major challenge, especially for work which employs multiples of materials. For example, in the chesterfield sofa for ‘Wasted’, “Are you sitting comfortably?” 15,000 old plastic carrier bags were sorted through in order to find 10,000 suitable to use. Negotiations were made with Safeway supermarket in order to collect enough old bags left by customers. (For more information refer to Residencies pages – Wasted)
Which aspect of the waste problem most interests you?
The reluctance of acceptance of a personal responsibility by the individual, for their own waste, is an issue that particularly intrigues me. This is a major facet of the waste problem. It is a subject that connects with every human being on the planet - each person on average produces 52 tons of waste in a lifetime.
