Artist Residency post 55*

Exciting news!

From May onwards I will be artist in residence with Rowan Arts. The residency is going to be very open, with me meeting local Islingtonians and creating new work in response to these meetings and conversations.

I am still working out where I will go with my ideas, but I am thinking along the lines of collage, and construction (as in a lot of my work)

I think in a way a community itself already is a collage, built from a plethora of people and cultures, all working together to create unique arrangements.

Click here to go to the Islinton Exhibits and Rowan Arts site, featuring more info about me and the upcoming residencies happening around Islington.

Daniel Baker & Contemporary Romani Art. Post 54*

I have been researching my heritage recently, and was aware my great grandmother was a Romani. I started researching the history on the trian back to London, and found out so many interesting parts of Romani history.

Due to their constant travelling there seems to be lots of different theories on the origins of these people. Egypt, India and Persia all recorded Romani people travelling through to europe. I like the way Romani people would still widely be passed off as common gypsies, but in fact their culture, art and design has become engrained and internalised as somehthing English.

one example of Romani design being appropriated by English artisans is evident in narrow boating culture.

The comparison of a traditional vardo, and a narrow boat shows how much this decoration has been used by english artisans.

I am really looking forward to making some new work in response to this traditional art form, and taking influence from this to create a more contemporary twist on the artform. (see above another artist Daniel Baker who is a Romani artist working alongside traditional folk art in a contemporary context)