Shoreline walks and observations.
Autumn has arrived and the mood of the landscape changes back and forth daily (or hourly !). I started October with a seaswim, an immersive and bracing experience in the environment! My regular walks appear on my Instagram feed but here are a few moments from recent walks. Wether I am collecting objects, rubbish or just inhaling the atmosphere of the day the landscape walks ground my art practice in all its forms. Consciously or unconsciously I always draw upon these experiences, sights and feelings as well as gaining the headspace to think abstractly around themes and ideas. The light and colours of autumn certainly have a sense of otherness to my thinking.. wonderful time of year.
Small works exploring an intimate scale.
Recently I’ve started to explore the lines and forms of my work on a scale towards jewellery type objects. The idea to make wearable works with a sculptural approach which sits as part of my studio practice. It’s quite interesting taking a sculptural, expressive approach to wearable jewellery forms and I’m enjoying it immensely. The range will be available online soon.
Seven spoons for Gabi
I have just sent a set of seven spoons off to Gabi Veit for the opening of her studio space Avrir in a village near Zürich. Avrir means open, to open, opening in Rhaeto-Romanic and the space is converted from an old washing house next to a stream and in addition to acting as Gabi’s workspace she plans to hold workshops and exhibitions.
The exhibition features work by Gabi, David Clarke, Nils Hint and Simone ten Hompel so I’m really pleased to be showing with such a fantastic select group of smiths.
Exhibition opening ..
All That Sits Unsaid, a pop up exhibition opened last night at Pollen Studios in Belfast. Thanks to all that popped by, it is open for a final time tomorrow (Saturday the 9th) 12-4pm. Here are a few pictures of the night.
All That Sits Unsaid at Pollen Studios.
All That Sits Unsaid is an installation of my material drawings, finds and fabrications in Pollen Studios, Belfast. It’s an artist run space in which I’m installing the work for 2 days only – for Late Night Art on the 7th of September and again on Saturday the 9th in the afternoon 12-4pm. I will be there on both occasions and will have some of my works on paper available to purchase. Hope you can make it.
Material poetics.
Currently I am continuing to explore materials and form through a series of material drawings using simple shapes, often repeated, each having a different character through the various materials used. It feels like the building of a language, especially when they are laid out in groups with their different rhythms and cadence, each with its character and inflection altering the meaning of the one next to it. These series sit as poems, abstractly suggesting elements of landscape, of moments in the woods, by the shore or passing through the side streets of a city. The work comes from my continued interest in materials and as a reflection of my passion for the natural world, repeatedly renewed through numerous walks through forests and along shorelines. The pieces are little explorations of things found, of objects fabricated to reflect some elements of these continued experiences.
There is much more to come, this is an ongoing process of play and I will be presenting a snapshot of it in an exhibition at Pollen Studios in Belfast for 2 days only. It will open on the 7th of September for Late Night Art and on Saturday the 9th of September in the afternoon.
Hope you can make it.
Raised vessels.
Recently I completed a pair of raised vessels for clients as wedding gifts. I’ve always enjoyed the process of hand raising vessels in sheet silver, the textures and soft organic forms that emerge are very seductive, calm and tactile. As a maker I find the process quite relaxing, despite its physical nature, the repeated hammering has a very meditative quality and to me represents the essence of being a smith.
Enriched silver vessel sealed with wax on a shoreline stone base.
Returning to this process again has renewed my interest in making raised vessels, seeing fresh possibilities in the forms. I’ve started exploring making more to produce a limited series of small hammered forms as collectible pieces, starting with whiskey tumblers and playing with found objects in various ways as bases, perhaps handles or other additions to tie them to the landscape I love.
Copper and silver tumblers.
Resting, returning and finding.
Recently I’ve been getting back into my rhythm of walking, looking and collecting, experiencing and recording the environment, reconnecting with my core practice. At its best I think any creative practice is best driven by immersion, so it comes simply from how you live and view the world. Immersion is about repeatedly stepping into the mindset, place and activities that you are drawn to until it becomes who you are. Recently I had to step back somewhat after a particularly busy few years had left me feeling burnt out. Taking a break , a pause, is no bad thing and it was done with the knowledge that I will always be pulled back to the inner drive to create, explore and play.
Returning is tricky, it’s stop-start and stumbling in the dark for the light switch. It’s moments of brief illumination, like a struck match, a bold step forward and then back to black, unsure of exactly were you are and what you had just seen.
This is a familiar place now through years of practice, so finding the way through is easier, even in the dark.
Now back to work…
Vessel drawings
Some recent vessel drawings just playing with simple shapes and forms, layering and allowing colours to bleed into each other.
Silver form echoing seaweed.
Revisiting an oxidised silver form I had made a few weeks ago I have found the oxidising medium has developed salt crystals on the surface. This echoes the sea salt crystallisation found on seaweed which the silver form was echoing. I’ll be developing this further and playing with the natural processes of the landscape to see how I can develop this further.
Stuart Cairns 