All posts filed under “research

Food Tables

Who’s in our food? Craft story telling commission for the the Brigstow Institute  at Bristol University.

We’ve been working on a piece to open up  how we talk about the sustainability of our food. Who is involved and what is influencing our choices?

Collecting peoples stories from across the UK fishing industry, we created story telling furniture and crockery to offer a place at their table.

A collaboration with Anagram

 

LOVE LOSS

Continuing the explorations into grief with a residency in Liverpool. Using music, dance and movement practice, drawing and film to explore the subject.

Arts Council supported 2021

Wood on Wheels

All those lovely off cuts waiting to be burned! Turned into toys and other useful objects on wheels.

Common Land

Common Land is a journey by foot around the UK. Starting in the south west. I am making my kit and costume from landscape – slowly exchanging the everyday international wardrobes for things I’ve made from the landscape. I’m trying to find the British wilderness, staying outdoors, bringing shared foot paths to life and seeing the materials around me in a different way.

I’ve begun working with a Horse, Airmid, and the wonderful Natalie from the Dartmoor Pony and Training Centre to prepare for the journey.

So far it’s become clear that you can plan as much as you like but it’s going to unfold in a different way and with a different pace.

Pin hole photos by Mary Shuldham.

Fire from Water

fire_ice

I’ve been studying several techniques for how to make fire using the sun. After fruitless efforts to replicate clear ice to produce lenses, I’ve turned to glass and water.

Schusterkugel were used to focus candle light for shoe makers and carvers. I’ve used the same quality to burn patterns in wood. Here is a little video of the process. Capturing the sun over time.

 

PRIMITIVE SKILLS

bone tools

I’ve just come back from a course in primitive skills with Lynx Vilden. It was a very special treat. We worked with flint knives, we killed, ate and worked a lamb. Creating and tanning hides, cordage, pouches, broth and bone tools like the ones pictured. We picked plants, shared stories and walked together. It was great!

It feels relevant to share this here as I’ve found these techniques hugely inspirational, people who have taken the time to learn and test these crafts have a great simplicity, honesty and skill. It gives such an insight into the history of technology, our environment and human ability.

You can watch a video about Lynx here. I think it’s in French (I haven’t watched the other videos out there on the internet).
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WIGS

For the next piece I will be working on I’ve been to visit Campbell Young Associates in Bristol to discover the art of wig making. 

Hairs are aligned using a very impressive brush of sharp nails, keeping the thick tops of the hairs and thinner lighter ends in place. The mesh base is moulded to an individuals head and then individual strands of human hair are knotted into place taking growth direction and density of hair into account. 

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Each head has its own form to work the wig on. They used to be made in wood like this one but have been replaced by styrofoam.

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Scuttling Stool

broom

I’ve tried to make a stool based on the process of greenwood broom making. It’s ended up shuffling around the studio as quite a little character, hanging out with the plastic brushes. I don’t like the way it’s turned out but it’s humoured me.