SW1 Gallery
Christmas Exhibition
Art and Insects Exhibition Plymouth University, Devon.
Surrey Artists Open Studios Ochre Print Studios at Guildford.
Surrey Butterflies Exhibition at Haslemere Educational Museum.
Art of Words Exhibition
The Art of Words 2006
"We are very pleased to say that Fairfields ‘The Art of Words’ exhibition of iLustration and text based work,
curated by Fairfields from a nationally advertised submission, is now in its fifth year. Indeed, it is quite a rare
thing to have an exhibition of illustration and text based work. As well as
being quite unusual for an exhibition, it also makes the exhibition of interest to those who are interested
in literature, as well as those who are interested in the visual arts.
This year’s exhibition is a diverse and exciting se~ection of art work by some 20 different artists from all over
the UK and abroad." (extract from the show guide).
Found 65 by Angela Thames Somerset Enhanced Paper, inkjet mixed media.
The pnmary focus of the work is urban landscape environments, turning what we know as reality into fiction.
The image overpowers the viewer into believing the environment is real. It is the control of urban landscapes
over rural; the indoors and outdoors, combined with the lack of human life creates a contained apocalyptic scene.
These environments are a manifestation of my ability to completely control a contained 2D layered space, which are
both complex and aesthetically pleasing. By the use of digital medium the work transforms and creates the scene into
a futuristic location, but yet is rooted in the present. This makes the environments personal to me, but at the same
time creating a different narrative to the viewer.”
Degree Show
They Failed To Notice They Had Left Something Behind
Artificiosa Armarium and Found 65 are two pieces of work produced from the same items of litter that were collected
over a two year period by the artist, mainly on her daily dog walks in a local area of outstanding natural beauty.
This litter is the evidence that humans have been there before her. They have not hidden their tracks: they are under
no threat from predators and totally dominate their land demonstrating a total disregard for their beautiful surroundings.
The artist is gently mocking archaeology and forensic methodology. When the items were collected, details were meticulously
recorded of time, day, month and year and this information forms the pseudo reference number found with each object.
In supplying text with the object: whether it is a story written by the artist, a newspaper headline or a created ‘Latin’
looking name she is suggesting a relationship between the text and object, thereby subtly subverting the familiar with a
disparate other familiar.
The two mediums used within this work, that of an accordion book, 13 metres long, and a Power Point Presentation,
comments on the methods by which we are supplied information. We are all familiar with looking at screens for information,
and it is feared that the ‘book’ will disappear from our shelves, and that libraries and museums will become extinct.
Information will be available in small ‘sound-bites’, momentarily flicked before our eyes. This ignores the human requirement
to hold and read a book as a tangible and tactile object.
Even though the work has been produced using a mass media tool, the ‘book’ is subtly hand embellished by the artist using
a range of materials such as beads, glitter or gold leaf. This also adds the ingredient of humour and irony, which is mirrored
within the Power Point Presentation. The artist is also mimicking the information found on museum labels supplied by eminent
collectors and curators, the authoritarians of information. And in addition to this, she is questioning whether we need to
see the actual object in a glass case or whether the replication through the use of technology is sufficient. But it is clear
by the manipulation of scale in both pieces of work that there is still a requirement to have the actual object to view and
to at least enable us to assess it’s size, age and colour.
Another, perhaps, more poignant remark this work makes, is that due to the globalisation and availability of mass-produced
everyday objects future archaeologists will not be able to easily classify objects by culture, race or country. The world
will become homogenised.
Site Specific Project at Farnham Library
Contemporary Archaeology
This work is based on the evidence of human activity that has left a mark on or in the landscape. I gently mock the
process of archaeology by collecting and recording everyday objects found mostly in my local area that is considered
to be of "Outstanding Natural Beauty". An underlying issue within my work is the apparent lack of respect we have for
our natural environment. The way we appear to have total domination of our space within the world. By leaving evidence
of our existence and by not trying to conceal our presence we obviously perceive ourselves not to be under any threat
from predators. Future archaeological digs will not be able to distinguish between cultures of different tribes, races
or countries. The world will become homogeneous.
I try and incorporate the archaeological practice of grandly displaying this everyday object to the public and drawing
attention to the objects that are considered to be worthless but could become historical treasures in the future.
