Rediscovery of No 8. Barnacle fossil

This piece was No 8 from the 'Voyage of Discovery' exhibition in Cambridge. 

"Barnacle Fossil"  Mixed Media Collage. 

It was bought by Marion Heasman and is in her collection in Bonsall, Derbyshire. Whilst visiting her today, I saw the work again for the first time in 3 years. It was one of the largest pieces in the show (larger than A1) and i was really pleased to see how good it looks in situ at her new house. I was also very surprised at how "worm-like" the barnacle shapes look. probably because I've been focussing on information for my new exhibition.  I may use one of these photographs as the starting point for Movement of Worms piece No 4 'Stucture'

Exhibition Poster

No 26 Ledges on hillside

No 26 ledges on hillside

"If the accumulation of disintegrated and rolled worm-castings were  to become 

confluent along horizontal lines, ledges would be formed." Charles Darwin 1881

Well I really can't expect this to carry on, but the first piece of work for the exhibition is "in the bag". 

Along with the tin design, and the front cover of the accompanying book, 

Work Number 26 is complete.

It is a short video (6 mins) which will loop. And from that a set of 12 prints (stills from the video).

One will appear as a page in the book/catalogue and the whole set of 12 will be available as a 

limited print edition. Very very pleased with it.   Here's a taster.

Still No: 7/12

Tin design

Now this is beginning to look how I want it to look. Progress has been made!

Tin and front cover of book:

Playing with Tins

I'm getting on really well with my initial ideas and sketches for the 30 pieces of work ; seem to be in my element. I've missed this method of working. 

When i studied for the Voyage of Discovery exhibition in 2008/9 I began by reading The Origin of Species and making notes. So that's how I started this project - reading Worms and Mould. I was a bit worried that the language might be a bit turgid, as I had found The Origin, but actually, it was fascinating, and even funny in places. 

In my last blog I mentioned that I will be documenting the work in this exhibition with an edition of 50 handmade artists books, and that they will be contained within A5 size tin boxes. Well the tin boxes arrived today! By courier - 72 of them. It was a very big and heavy cardboard box!!

I spent a very happy couple of hours this afternoon playing with the lids. Scratching, inking, sandpapering, drawing, printing and then putting them in the oven to fix the inks. I haven't come up with the final version yet, by any means, but I'm really enjoying getting there.

More playing tomorrow.

I'm glad I've given myself enough time to really be in control of this work. I'm really enjoying it, and having time to savour the experience. The stress will come, and the doubts and the challenges, but hopefully I'll be a way down the line by then, and more able to cope with inevitable problems.

Scribblings

Now that NEEDLE & FORGE is nearly launched, I have some time to really start concentrating on 'The Movement and Actions of Worms' exhibition. I've started making notes on each of the 30 pieces, and have decided to create small books (again) to accompany the exhibition. They will be presented in tin boxes, to represent opening up a 'can of worms'.  Excited by this new boost of activity.  Keep watching this space. 

Publicity for Coastival 2014 application

Friday 14th February until Sunday 23rd February

"The Movement and Action of Worms"

By Helen Birmingham

An exhibition of mixed media textiles and print, showing an artist’s unique visual interpretation of one of the world’s oldest ongoing scientific experiments. The images are playfully based on a Darwin’s book “Mould and Worms” (1881) in which he investigates how the action of worms can cause objects on the surface to become buried over time.

This exhibition is the long awaited “next evolutionary step” for Helen Birmingham’s work and shows the continuing inspiration she has found in Charles Darwin's studies. It follows her very successful 2009 exhibition in Cambridge “Voyage of Discovery” which was a visual interpretation of Darwin’s thinking behind “The Origin of Species”.

 

"The Movement and Action of Worms"  includes altered photographic images, together with textiles and quilting, etching and silkscreen printed images.