As an artist interested in the fragility of our landscape I have, when given the opportunity, created larger, more complex works which engage the observer more fully. The first, and possibly the most daring to date, was based around the River Fal in Cornwall.
If You Don’t Walk, My Art Does Not Exist (2011) was based around the idea of people discovering fragile ceramic works as they explored the area on foot and responded to the work by adding comments or drawings to art books left beside each work.
Inspired by the work of Richard Long, who makes his art by walking, I wanted to encourage others out into the landscape to appreciate it for themselves.
The drawings that people left are testament to the success of the project.
Seascape, (2015), Salisbury Open Ceramics Exhibition consisted of a series of small, very fragile, ceramic boxes stretching 3m along the wall of the gallery. Joint Winner of the People’s Choice award.
Seahenge, (2018) Occupied the central space of a large gallery at Great Walsingham, Norfolk
River at Richmond, (2019) 36 cylinders containing mud from the River Thames under Richmond Bridge took centre stage in the upstairs gallery at One Paved Court
If you want to understand the thinking behind these works go to What Makes Me Tick? where you can read an essay which provides an insight into who I am and why I make what I do. It dates from 2015 and was the final essay of my Diploma but everything in it still holds true today.
Bridget Macklin 