Sarah Molins . . .

On Saturday I went to a fantastic symposium organised by Meadow Arts, the group responsible for putting on the House of Beasts exhibition at Attingham Park.  What I found thoroughly interesting was a talk by one of the artists Sarah Molins, who's work had totally passed me by in the exhibition.  Her piece is actually viewable online so I thought I would share the link with you.  Based on the colourful history of one of Attinghams past residents I find the story and the site most intriguing.  See what you think . . .

www.sundialinmoonlight.com

house of beasts . . . .

On Friday afternoon I escaped the stuffy hot studio for a research trip with tailor Kate Millbank.  Kate and I are gathering inspiration galore for a collaborative project we are embarking on and I shall be talking more about this over the coming months.  We headed out to Attingham Park, a National Trust property just outside Shrewsbury.      The house and grounds are currently hosting a contemporary art exhibition called House of Beasts, which has been organised by Meadow Arts.  Seamlessly integrated into the rooms are wonderful macabre installations, illustrations and animations.  I'm slightly in love with the whole exhibition but my favourite piece was by Alastair Mackie. 

"The owl, having swallowed its prey whole, slowly digests the nourishing, softer parts.  It then regurgitates the indigestible bones, feathers and fur in the form of a pellet.  To create his sculpture Alastair Mackie extracts mouse skulls from the pellets. with meticulous craftsmanship turns this natural product into an object of fascination, beauty and scientific curiosity.  A hint of the initial violence lingers in the fragility of his work."

words from exhibition catalogue

Alastair Mackie - Untitled (Sphere)

image from here