Last night, I took part in an open critique at Smiths Row with Kate Jackson, artist-in-residence and other artists, Deborah Pipe and Vicky West. The critique was chaired by Natalie Pace.

This event was scheduled as a part of Kate’s residency, the first of which Smiths Row has had. I met Kate for the first time when both our shows were just a week old. Something about our work gelled especially as we both are fixated to a degree on edgelands. I have posted before about us both using the same book as inspiration for our artistic output.

The evening began with Kate explaining her rationale and I was amazed at how similar our approaches and processes are. Everything about the final product with Kate has to be about colour balance and the product is in her minds eye before she commits to substrate. Listening to Kate, I ticked off all the similar aspects of my work. Wavelength of light has to be right and I have to have an idea of the end product before making my choice of which camera to use so the outcome determines my input. What was interesting to note was that once the work is deemed correct in terms of colour, it is finished and no longer on Kate’s radar. She is off onto something new. That is also similar to how I work especially if I set an end date to a project. Where we differ though is that I can re-visit a collection of work and re-edit based on content into a different media form if I care. I do find re-visiting a body of work can make me see different ways of seeing.

Next up was Vicky with her representation of electricity that in my opinion could make for a very interesting body of work even on the small scale that was shown to us. Painting, or representing an invisible force is an interesting concept. There are connections here with both Kate’s and my work.

The last session was by Deborah and she tumbled out two carrier bags of clay vulva onto the floor representing her interpretation of female genital mutilation. We discussed how she could expand this body of work when she studies at university. I suggested she get in touch with LJ Thurstun but she had already exhibited with LJ. We were all offered a vulva to take home and that taking was symbolic really of what Deborah is representing with her work. She also showed us hand made paper with ‘home safe home’ laser cut into it and also holes burned in to represent embroidery samplers, some of which were stitched. This made me recall primary school (many years ago) where all children had to make a sampler and this childhood activity goes hand in hand with the abuse suffered by innocent girls subjected to this mutilation. All very powerful stuff.

All in all a very full session from four artists.

I’m looking forward to collaborating with Kate once my season kicks in again. I see my Edgelands taking in more ‘agridustrial’ features in the landscape and there are many of those in East Anglia.