Since graduating from Falmouth University in 2000, I’ve delivered arts projects in galleries, museums and community based settings, whilst also continuing with my own studio practice.
During my Studio Ceramics Degree, we were taken to source and dig our own clay, I found the immediacy of this fascinating & soon began to only work with material I had dug myself which then lead to working just with soil, regardless of clay content. Gradually I left the kiln and pottery wheel behind to focus primarily on the raw materials of dirt and later mould in my practice.
Soil and mould are the raw materials of my practice. These organic matters, essential to our fragile earthly existence, are often disregarded as repulsive, something to be scrubbed away in the relentless battle for sanitisation. I find them beautiful however and am fascinated by the importance that soils and fungi play in the natural world.
The cultural significance of dirt and mould is multi-layered. The subjects of growth and decay, fertility and death are inevitably interrogated in my work when working with such elemental substances.
However other light hearted subjects are equally significant to my practice. I have made references to the playful childhood attraction to dirt in previous works and take an alternative, often humourous, view of the negative connotations of the word in western language.The dirt I collect from various sites can often feel ‘charged’ and I am drawn to create works being lead by this. Recently I have made a series of ‘poppets’ using graveyard dirt and a regular meditative practice of mine is making Hikaru Dorodangos (shiny mud balls) out of different earth I’ve gathered.
Contact
| Your email: | saffyem@yahoo.com |
|---|---|
| Your twitter: | @EmmaSaffyWilson |
| Your instagram: | https://www.instagram.com/emma_saffy_wilson_/ |
| Your website: | www.emmasaffywilson.com |