Growing from an early (and on-going) love of science-fiction and anti-/utopian literature in my practice I construct imagined landscapes using CAD and CGI rendering. I see these un-real spaces as modes of analysing research. Building them allows for different ideas and sources to be combined, offering a new point of entry into the existing works.
I approach research as a broad and creative process. It could as much be walking, conversations, poetry and views as secondary sources such as essays, films and books. Sci-fi as a genre openly encourages curiosity, often asking relevant yet philosophical questions of the audience. I take this approach within my own work. The spaces I build grow freely in response to the materials I make or encounter, each a point of entry into a growing body of enquiry on our relationship to the landscapes we inhabit.
I am led by questions; how do we imagine places of the future? how do we understand ourselves in relation to landscape? how can memories, emotions or feeling be pictured as place? and what part can CGI have in that? how can I approach building these digital spaces so that it's fluid, reflective, painterly? how can we approach written research in different mediums? how do we research? and what can be research? how many times can I casually bring up Zamyatin's 'We' in conversation without the other person walking away? what questions can I ask to grow these landscapes? how can they be used to articulate our hopes and fears for future landscapes?
Currently based in Dublin, Ireland, I grew up between the Dales and Cumbria in the Britain. The relationship to these rural landscapes and the way they kind heavy industry or military activity behind motifs of wilderness, has heavily influenced my practice. I attended art school at Leeds College of Art and Manchester School of Art, and in the past two years I was awarded Young Cumbrian Artist of the Year and 2nd Prize, Practitioner Category, at the RIBA Eye Line competition. Alongside showing work across the UK I have been on residency in Manchester, Penrith, Barrow-in-Furness and Velez-Blanco.
Artist Statement
Group Shows, Residencies & Presentations_
Sep 21 _ Conference Speaker _ RAPS, Bristol
Speaker at Radical Architecture for Sustainable Practice
Aug 21 _ Contributing Artist _ Folded Zine
Participated in Issue 3 of Folded Zine, responding to the theme of 'Space and Landscape'
Aug 21 _ Artist in Residence _ Pink Manchester
Creation of a collaboration project and research residency at Pink, an arts space for curatorial research.
July 21 _ Commissioned Artist _ Our World, Ulverston Coronation Hall
Creation of an installation based on the Furness landscape.
July 21 _ 2nd Place Winner _ Eye Line Competition, RIBA Journal
'The Snows are melting, the snows are gone' featured as a shortlisted piece, and 'How do I stand tall?' was awarded second place.
June 21 _ Contributing Artist _ Lune Journal
Featured in contemporary Place journal, included both writing and imagery
May 21 _ Visiting Speaker _ P3 Programme, MMU
Delivered hour long talk on research as creative practice
May 21 _ Contributing Artist _ Folded Zine
Artist as part of group digital zine responding to the theme of 'Identity', based in Kendal, Cumbria.
Feb 21 _ Artist in Residence _ Eden Arts, Penrith
AiR as part of Spare Room programme for two weeks, developing the concept of imagined places.
Jan 21 _ Visiting Speaker _ Leeds Arts University
Invited speaker to discuss Professional Practice as part of panel.
Dec 20 _ Talking Heads _ Leeds Arts University
Invited video speaker to talk to third years design students on Professional Practice.
Nov 2020 _ Chain Mail _ Corridor 8
Invited writer for the North West with Katy Morrison & editor James Schofield
Aug 2020 _ ‘Off-Centre’ _ Pink MCR
Invited artist to contribute to digital group publication
Feb 2020 _ Young Cumbrian Artist of the Year _ Carlisle Institute of Art
Winner of Young Cumbrian Artist of the Year and invited to complete a residency with Eden Arts in 2021
Nov 2019 _ ‘The words that precede my mouth’ _ Soft Spot
Slow hung group show growing from conversations within the space on collaboration, writing, language and diagrams
Oct 2019 _ ‘MANUSCRIPT’ _ Manchester Art Fair
Curator and artist of the MANUSCRIPT stand, focusing on printed matter emerging from the Manchester School of Art
July 2019 _ Degree Show _ Manchester School of Art
March 2019 _ ‘Matters of Procedure’ _ Curated by Katy Morrison
Participating artist in week-long curatorial project, culminating in a show at the Side Gallery, first introduction to the concept of a ‘slow hang’ and how these discussions can benefit both the artists and the work
March 2019 _ Young Cumbrian Artist of the Year _ Carlisle Institute of Art Shortlisted Artist
Nov 2018 _ Doremi Residency _ Art Gene
Group residency based in Barrow-in-Furness, culminating in a group show
May 2018 _ ‘Syste, m a complicate’ _ Vernon Park Museum
Invited artist to group exhibition on ‘writing as art’
May 2018 _ ‘Two glasses of red and an exhibition guide’ _ Deaf Institute
Participating artist in performance based group show
May 2018 _ ‘Unquiet Landscapes’ _ Plant Noma
Curator and participating artist
April 2018 _ ‘Perambulate’ _ Vertical Gallery
Participating artist
March 2018 _ ‘The Dream Committee’ _ curated by Andrew Hunt
Participating artist
Jan 2018 _ ‘Testing Ground’ _ Curated by Tom Emery
Participating artist
Publications & Digital Presence_
November 2020 / another [...] zine / independent
Launch of the first issue of a [...] z with a film fanzine focused on Eternal Beauty by Craig Roberts
Nov 2020 / Chain Mail Issue 3 / Corridor 8
Invited writer for the North West with Katy Morrison & editor James Schofield
Aug 2020 _ ‘Off-Centre’ _ Pink MCR
Invited artist to contribute to digital group publication
July 2020 / Dark Sands / BBC Radio Cumbria
Poem aired during the poetry segment on BBC Radio Cumbria as part of Upload Festival
July 2020 / Dark Sands / Louder Than The Storm
Poem featured on environmental collective website
June 2020 / Motifs of a City / Wildfell Zine
Contribution to digital zine
June 2020 / The City Builds / Wildfell Zine
Contribution to digital zine
August 2019 / 'but what happened in the summer?' / Bodleian Library Oxford
Artist book held in the collections of the Bodleian Library, Oxford
August 2019 / 'untitled' / Bodleian Library Oxford
Artist book held in the collections of the Bodleian Library, Oxford
Education & Employment_
Manchester School of Art _ Fine Art BA(Hons) _ First Class
Leeds College of Art _ Extended Diploma in Art & Design _ Distinction
Kendal College _ BTEC Diploma in Photography _ Merit
MMU English Literature Department _ Research Assistant to Dr David Cooper _ 2018
MMU Politics Department _ Research Assistant to Dr Adi Kuntsman _ 2019
Symmetry CGI _ Furniture and CGI Designer _ 2014 - Present
MSOA Outreach Team _ Assistant _ 2018 - 2019