I’m in interdisciplinary artist working in psychosexual sculpture, collage and VHS. Sugar colours, soft, flaccid shapes and surrealism come together to quietly question trauma, loss and healing. I use 1980’s cartoons, plastic toys and textured fabric to create a pre-oedipal language that speaks to the senses rather than the rational. Every element or material used is in a process of change. The soft sculptures are never cut, stitched, or fixed - they are tied, placed and held, so that they can continue to morph into a future form if necessary. All the fabrics and stuffings have a past - found at flee markets, bought from charity shops or acquired from attics - it’s important they hold a history that adds depth to the narrative. Once brought into the studio, I begin by carefully washing, drying and dyeing the fabrics to bring new life. During this process, I shot on VHS, creating an intimate and material record that captures the birth of the work. 

As an outcome, I am proposing to make a large psycho-surreal stacking sculpture, made of fabric, wadding and moulded joints - with a tender heart at the centre that speaks of the complex interconnection between body, mind and healing. In using the textile facilities, I would be able to take my process further by printing symbolic and syncopated patterns onto the fabrics, creating a visual rhythm. Access to the dyeing facilities would allow me to be more ambitious with my colour palette and experiment with resistant techniques - mould making would bring a whole new element to the work and the media suite would lend new ideas about documentation. If granted artist access, I would like to ensure that the students feel engaged in creative exchange and are able to see the sculpture materialise.