Personal Statement

Throughout my studies I have enjoyed the opportunity to experiment with a variety of concepts and mediums within art. Although I have previously appreciated working with paint and pencil drawing, my explorations with sculptural materials have been a breakthrough for me as an artist. Throughout my first year of my BA (Hons) Fine Art degree I moved my focus from drawing and paint to using cardboard as sculptural material. I created a series of sculptures including animals, people and a building within my studio space. This way of working with such a malleable material enabled a freedom to the making process that I had not found while working with canvas and paper. Since this development, I have consistently experimented with the materials I use in my work and used them to explore subjects and concepts that motivate me. 

 

One of my biggest interests to explore within art is the history of British society, specifically British colonialism. This interest in history has been with me since high school, and is an increasingly important part of my art practice. The topic of exploration came up in my second year of Fine Art, and under the restrictions of Covid it became very relevant allowing me to put my thoughts of the time into meaningful pieces of work. The idea of exploration within colonialism and stories like Sir John Franklin and Captain Scott’s expeditions came to be the main parts of my research due to how exploration was made an impossible task by being in lockdown. The topic of colonialism is also an increasingly important topic with the effects of it being still present today as seen in the controversy surrounding the British Museums Benin Bronzes and the Rosetta Stone. Within my current practice I seek to challenged how British museums display artefacts that have been violently extracted from sites during the peak of colonialism. To achieve this, I am constructing my own personal museum that showcases artefacts that I have made that draw more on the history of the forgotten working class. My main goal of this is to deconstruct how a museum functions and how I can utilise the power of the museum to create an effective critical response to museum culture.   

Throughout my time living in Preston I have had some excellent opportunities to find out more about Preston's historical background and get involved in various projects. One of my favourite experiences was getting involved in sorting through Uclan's archive collection which contained documents many areas including the clan library and the observatory in Moor Park. Another great opportunity for me was being a part of the Harris Young Producers project. I was involved with the group for several years and had the excellent chance to meet artists, visit museums and galleries, contribute towards an exhibition and explore the Harris museum archives. From this experience I gained a deeper understanding and appreciation for museum culture which has had a heavy influence on my current art project. 

 

Whilst studying at Uclan I was given the incredible opportunity to act as Gallery Intern for the Hanover Gallery. This role allowed me to experience curation and what it takes to organise an exhibition space. Overall I oversaw the production of several exhibition including art from other students on the Fine Art course and outside artists.