Thursday 30 May 2013

Building Man

Woven Laylandii Arch Way with Junk Flowers 
Made as part of the Building Man project- Building the change
"Building Man is a network of people and projects growing together organically through the co-creation of a shared vision; to collectively build the change we want to see in the world. Our mission – if we choose to accept it – is the radical re-imagination of small festival culture and beyond."





Monday 21 January 2013

Church of the Poison Mind

Church of the Poison Mind installation at Sladyfest (SlaDIYfest!) - a one day feminist festival in Levenshulme, Manchester (12th Jan 2013). Also to be exhibited at Helpyourself Manchester- DIY then and now film screening and live music event (26th Jan 2013).


The exhibition involves two pieces- Church of the Poison Mind: This installation explores ideas surrounding consumer culture- creating comparisons between consumerism and religion. Showing how advertising creates a promise of  something higher to aspire to- striving towards material gain rather than spiritual wealth. Nowadays shopping centers have become the new cathedrals- hoards of people flock to a a regular basis in hope of finding something to make their world more comforting and meaningful. Seduced with promises of a better life and escape for the mundane of reality. The manekin is crusifed as if a matar, chained to the cross, arms full of shopping bags, across her body is written well known advertising slogans such as "Because your'e worth it" and "Beyond your dreams, within your reach". The TV screen flashes red, accompanied with a constant thud, the words "LIVE WORK CONSUME DIE" unsubtley put accross the message that people are constrantly exposed to; programming through noise and imagery by the means of the television. 
 







Friday 2 November 2012

Residency at Green and Away


THE SCRAP YARDEN 

 
















REJUVENATION TREE- Contributions from workshops in upcycling tin can



















WILLOW WEAVING





Monday 28 May 2012

Lens Perception


The human race has advances at a rapid pace, new technologies have opened doors to many possibilities, but at what cost? The burning of fossil fuels has released large amounts of carbon dioxide emissions into the earth's atmosphere resulting in global warming. Climate change has caused an unbalance in the worlds delicate ecosystems; glaciers, sea ice and permafrost are melting resulting in a rise of sea level then consequentially flooding. Extreme drought and heat are other consequences. Greenpeace claims on its website,

“more flooding, more drought, more disease, more famine and more war, creating hundreds of millions of refugees and causing the destruction of entire ecosystems and species."

Deforestation is another major problem created by the demand for surplus products- wood to be used as a resource, forests cut down to make way for farm land, leads to the loss of habitats for many species and an increase in the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere.

My work uses raw materials, glass and wood to communicate this message, exploring the relationship between the natural and the manufactured. I use the translucent quality of hand blown glass, to create a lens through the center of unprocessed wood. The glass, as a representation of the manufactured world, replaces the heart of the tree. Although they become one of the same, creating a window of perception, the wood is burnt in the process; a constant reminder of the damage the human race has caused to the natural environment.










Monday 23 January 2012

Green Soloutions

Hand blown glass pods for growing vegetables within an urban environment. The water drips down from one pod to another, eventually collecting in a small bowl at the bottom. The water can be reused, reducing waste and preventing nutrients being lost from the soil. Using vertical space potential, ideal for hanging in a window or well lit room.