Re-imagining precious

‘Nothing can be rushed. It must grow, it should grow of itself, and, if the time ever comes for that work - then so much the better’. Paul Klee, On Modern Art 1948

Makers are agents in adding value to raw materials through their ideas, skills and investment of time in experimenting and perfecting techniques or processes; transforming materials, giving them meaning and value. Elizabeth’s new work acts as a catalyst in a personal re-evaluation and reflection of preciousness and how a maker can engage with preciousness from multiple points of view.

Thoughts and ideas towards this new work first began when Elizabeth responded to an open submission where artists were asked to work with a single use paper cup as a starting point for a new artwork. The exhibition aimed to highlight the environmental concerns surrounding the use of disposable packaging in takeaway food, as well as breathe new life into this humble object that would normally be thrown away.

As a visual person Elizabeth sees beauty and potential in many ordinary mundane objects. She was naturally drawn to the activity of saving broken parts from her children’s toys as well as plastic objects and other items from the recycling bin; these items, when removed from their main function and viewed out of context, inspire, speak of potential and, have a future as part of something else. Alongside this activity Elizabeth began to sort through the materials that she had amassed over the years as a maker and creative, these materials were sorted in to type and carefully categorised in boxes, a sense of potential very much at the heart of this activity.

Elizabeth’s emerging work is created in response to her collections of found and saved objects, what is left over, the abandoned, the overlooked. Working intuitively, curating her found and saved objects, transforming and bringing new life to the discarded to create resourceful compositions which promote surprise while challenging the conventions of traditional jewellery materials.

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Artist’s Cup

Object

Paper cup, acrylic paint, pencil, cotton

Artist Cups, 21-21 Visual Arts Centre. 2010

Unique one of a kind piece

Brexsh*t I

Necklace

Protest jewellery made for and worn on the UK anti Brexit marches

Plastic bottle tops, paper stickers, ribbon, thread

2016

Unique one of a kind piece

Brexsh*t II

Necklace

Protest jewellery

Plastic bottle tops, ribbon

2016

Unique one of a kind piece