"Much of my work examines our communication with and behaviour towards others, looking at the choreography of how people interact with each other, places and things. Noticing how we travel through different environments and how we make sense of being or feeling 'out-of-place'. A concept would be a developing narrative that draws in appropriate materials and locations. The nature of the material is very important and can arise from the environment I find myself in. Manipulating materials and re-purposing the stuff of everyday life; I create the props, costumes and backdrops for fictional characters that become a conduit to describe the narrative or context.
CLAIRE SHOOSMITH
CLAIRE SHOOSMITHContact:
Claire
I have never liked having finished work hanging around, I prefer to work with materials in an ephemeral way where a moment is captured on photo or digital media. I think there is the potential for a richer dialogue between the viewer and the artist when a space is populated with multiple scenes or objects that sit in relationship to each other. For me it's the analogy of walking through a hall of mirrors where the juxtaposition of elements are constantly changing and the viewer becomes part of the narrative. The exhibited art can be immersive and the process of making the work can be immersive, drawing in multiple strands and using a variety of media.
My projects create situations where people are included in the process of making the work, the dialogue that this encourages and how it might shift the direction of the work are key to developing the project. Engineering collaboration between the general public and specific community groups or organisations started whilst I was working first as an artist in residence and then co-curating the summer festival at Grizedale Arts and this has continued throughout my career."
Claire Shoosmith