Artist Statement
'Six Days a Week' ... is a study of the realities of working in a cotton mill during the nineteenth century. By focusing on the repetitive elements found within the harsh working environment, I intend to explore the effect it has on the workforce.
After completing my Fine Art degree at Sheffield Hallam University, I needed to prioritise family and work. However, I’m very happy that I am now able to return to my art practice with renewed enthusiasm. To that end, last year I joined a group of artists who are collaborating on the Red Tape Project in Wirksworth.This project is a new body of work, started in the autumn of 2017 and successfully admitted to last year’s Wirksworth Festival 2018. As a result, 'Red Tape Evolving' was shown at Haarlem Mill in a Group Exhibition of 8 artists.
The work focuses on the looms and the constant, deafening noise. And there is a fascination with the repetitive elements within the imagery, culminating in the video installation - where the gradually decaying twisting motion may be seen as a hypnotic, trance-inducing metaphor for the harsh realities of a life spent working in the mill.
The ephemeral, the invisible and memory are themes that I am repeatedly drawn to. Typically the subject matter is explored using photography and a combination of traditional print techniques, collage and line drawings.
