It's a paradox to attach a functional object, such as a rudder, to a building: the sense of frustration in thwarted direction or motivation. Familiar objects, like keys, have an emotively metaphoric quality for me; I'm fascinated by the oxidising process and the acceptance of loss in the repetition of defunctionalisation and recontextualisation. I work with stimulus:response situations, locally found materials, keys - people collect and give them to me; and porcelain, creating installations in relation to the immediate environment.
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I've lived in Leigh On Sea for 14 years, having moved here from a coastal town in Southern Ireland where I grew up with boats as a sport and pastime, but also as a metaphor for migration, and for many, a livelihood. Boats are functional things: there isn't much on a boat that's decorative, and each part has its purpose in moving forward. An altered function and interpretation of these boat parts, manipulation of the emotive qualities of materials, the insignia of identity and ownership, suggest threads of metaphors: human motivation, the seven deadly sins, migration, love, loss and icons of sentimentality.
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Press Release August 2010
"The Seasider pop-up Shop, located at no. 42 Theobalds Road, is open from 9 – 26 August, bringing a taste of the British Seaside to London this summer as part of the wider Seasider campaign. Shunning more traditional marketing, the Seasider Shop is a free experience, packed with art, workshops, sound installations, film and special events from Seaside Towns across the UK to encourage Londoners to re-discover their connection with the coast. Visitors will get a unique taste of towns such as Torquay, Brighton, Margate and Southend, and interact with work from artists including Wonderfulsound, Grant Philpott, Madelaine Murphy ... The Seasider campaign, set up by Eddie Bridgman and Hidden Cities, is showcasing the growing cultural offers of UK Seaside Towns to an urban audience keen for new British experiences, promoting themselves as contemporary destinations ... Bridgman, Director of Seasider, “Seasider is all about changing perceptions about the British Seaside - and what better way to kick off the campaign than with a fun and direct showcase of what our coast currently offers ...".
"The Seasider pop-up Shop, located at no. 42 Theobalds Road, is open from 9 – 26 August, bringing a taste of the British Seaside to London this summer as part of the wider Seasider campaign. Shunning more traditional marketing, the Seasider Shop is a free experience, packed with art, workshops, sound installations, film and special events from Seaside Towns across the UK to encourage Londoners to re-discover their connection with the coast. Visitors will get a unique taste of towns such as Torquay, Brighton, Margate and Southend, and interact with work from artists including Wonderfulsound, Grant Philpott, Madelaine Murphy ... The Seasider campaign, set up by Eddie Bridgman and Hidden Cities, is showcasing the growing cultural offers of UK Seaside Towns to an urban audience keen for new British experiences, promoting themselves as contemporary destinations ... Bridgman, Director of Seasider, “Seasider is all about changing perceptions about the British Seaside - and what better way to kick off the campaign than with a fun and direct showcase of what our coast currently offers ...".
