My practice is primarily focused on social engagement. I make site-specific structures, installation and projects, which play with the architecture, history and stories of a place. I have created visual art projects for a wide range of outdoor and cultural environments with communities, schools and audiences over the last 20 years.
My practice is primarily focused on social engagement. I make site-specific structures, installation and projects, which play with the architecture, history and stories of a place. I have created visual art projects for a wide range of outdoor and cultural environments with communities, schools and audiences over the last 20 years.
I use paper, fabric, everyday objects such as stationary, books, discarded materials. I use these simple materials to explore the environments we live in, with printmaking, drawing and shadow. The deliberate use of simple materials and techniques seek to lay bare the process of creation, and simultaneously harness a transformation from the ordinary to the special.
Creating artwork in a public space, which engages, amuses and re-interprets the space and place, is my main driving force of creativity. My work aims to allow participants to re view a familiar place or activity through the intervention of an artwork or transformation of space with event, participation, spectacle, and collaboration. My work has been commissioned by The British Museum, The Bloomsbury Festival, The Royal Shakespeare company and Arts NK amongst others. It has included lit sculpture, artworks which ask audiences to contribute and reflect on their feelings and place in the world, installation which use imaginary scenario to explore history or belief, and workshops which give audiences the means to make their own artworks.
I work on solo projects, and in collaboration with animator Elizabeth Hobbs, using moving image to create participatory projects under the name Tracy & Hobbs. Tracy and Hobbs have created award winning project for Up Projects, UK Film Council and Arts Council England.
I am currently engaged in using Lino and letterpress print, collage and artist’s books to create 2d and installation projects.
Education
1992-1994 Slade school of Art, London. Post graduate. (Higher Diploma)
1989-1992 Brighton Polytechnic. BA (Hons) Fine Art, Painting 2:1
1988-1989 Central school of Art, London. Foundation.
Exhibitions
2016 Bow Open curated by Anj Smith
2014 Tracy & Hobbs Akkigalleria exhibition of video works and participatory programme, Jyväskylä, Finland. Live Herring Festival.
2013 ‘Screen’, St Andrews, Heckington, Lincolnshire. Site-specific participatory installation as a part of ‘Altered’. Screen was a re- working of a lost architectural and symbolic element of the building which used light, shadow and visitor interaction to explore the building.
2012 Lido Love, London fields Lido, Hackney. ‘Seedlings’ Light installation in pool made in response to history and former uses of the pool.
2010 Kew Gardens, Temple of the Imagination, Chandelier commission installation.
2009 Shunt Lounge, Tracy & Hobbs Comings and Goings. Site-specific installation using animation.
Talks
2017 University of East London Detour ahead. Presentation of collaborative work of Tracy & Hobbs
2016 Silent Symposium, Animate Projects, Derby University. Tracy & Hobbs presentation of WaterFolk and collaboration with scientist Prof Malcolm Burrows.
Commissions
2017 Royal Shakespeare Company, The Other Place, Straford-Upon- Avon. Shadow box installation and lantern workshops with artist Julia Clarke.
2016 Gateway, The British Museum Installation and workshops for Refugee Week using messages of welcome in a wall of envelopes.
2016 Bureau of the unsaid, Chelsea Fringe Festival, Dalston Curve Garden interactive Installation exploring the language of flowers inviting participants to add to a greenhouse of paper flowers and create updated meanings to a Floriography dictionary.
2016 Bloomsbury Festival, Festival in a box pop-up book exploring Bloomsbury area and history, taking the festival to local people with Dementia.
2015 ‘Whitton Small Press’ Residency in Whitton Library funded by Arts Council England with London Borough of Richmond Arts service and Richmond Library services as a ‘Art in Libraries’ project.
2014 ‘Bureau of Lost and Found’ Totally Thames festival with Up Projects. Tracy & Hobbs transformed the interior of the Floating Cinema to create imagined lost property office using mudlarking artefacts.
2014 Fling Festival; Institute of Animal Spirit Guides, A participatory light installation.
2014 The One Show BBC television. Giant drawing for The Campaign for Drawing made live during the One Show.
2013 ‘Water Folk’ Tracy & Hobbs The Floating Cinema, Up Projects. Arts Council funded. Cross-generational project with Hackney communities and Zoologist Professor Malcolm Burrows. Film screened as a part of ‘Extra-ordinary’ The Floating Cinema programme. Awarded ‘Best educational project’ by The Canal and Rivers Trust.
2013 Stop Aids Charity: temporary light installation for World Aids Day.
2012 Waltham Forest Council, Pop-Up Picture Palace. Tracy & Hobbs commission creating live event and site specific moving image installation exploring former film making industry of area.
2012 Bloomsbury Festival, The Collectors. Lead artist on light installation, performance and multi form arts participatory project taking inspiration from The Grant Zoological Museum for opening event for Bloomsbury festival.
2011 UK Film Council First light Funding to create experimental animation as Tracy & Hobbs, working using archive film from BFI collection, with pupils from Gayhurst Community Primary school.
2011 Wandsworth Council Shimmy Festival installation
2009 The British Museum Day Of The Dead celebration and live event.
2009 The Thames Festival The Hive: Large participatory Light sculpture. Pan-London schools Project
Education projects (selected)
Arts Award trainer: Explore and Discover
Artist educator for Bow Arts teaching Primary, Secondary and INSET workshops and projects.
2016 Bedfordshire County Council Community workshops Stotfold Community Hall with public artist Tom Pearman.
2016 Arts Awards Explore, Bow Arts After school project Newham primary schools.
2016 Inset day for teachers. Creating 3D work and lino prints with primary children.
2015 Dalston Curve Garden workshops exploring the garden using science and art.
2015 Kettles Yard, Cambridge Circuit programme project with Tate Gallery.
2015 Arts Prescription project, Bromley by Bow Centre.
2015 Corelli College Paper installation created with whole school community.
2014 Barbican Centre Cinema. Flip-book workshop for Family Film Club.
2013 Big Draw, Campaign for Drawing Queen Elizabeth Park Tracy & Hobbs drawing and animation workshops.
2013 Queen Elizabeth Park Summer school Space studios. Tracy & Hobbs workshop London Legacy for transition year school groups.
2013 The National Trust, Sutton House, Lantern making and procession.
2013 Watermans Arts Centre lit sculpture with young people the Hub Youth Centre.
2013 Hackney Council present making workshops CLR James Library Winter Market.
2013 Hackney Wow Magazine workshops and installation.
2012: Hackney Museum, ‘Olympic Shadows’ workshops for ‘Mapping the Change’
2011 Royal Opera House Creative Partnerships, Ockendon Academy. Project exploring mental health.
