karen NEILL Golden Shoes

MR ZAPPER

Physalis and Silk

Through reclaiming foraged objects from the natural world I metaphor time, the end of time of the diminishing natural world and rebirth, I reference trappings in society at the cost of loss of the precious life in the natural world.

I preserve what I ethically forage from woodland, fields, rivers and seashores, even jungles. I make and assemble the sculptures from these found objects. I have been working with honey, bumble and solitary bees, dragonflies, rooks, jackdaws, magpies, jays, woodpeckers, rabbits, eggs, shells, flora and fauna and stones. I work through the processes – decomposing, cleaning, filing, gold leafing, painting, enamelling and applying semi-precious stones and rhinestones to the reclaimed objects. Displaying the pieces under glass domes and stand.

My background as an Artist after graduating at Byam Shaw at Central St Martin’s in 2004, was with micrography using liquid crystal as a medium. On an Artist’s Residency at Liquid Crystal Institute Ohio USA I found this incredible liquid, which we cannot seemingly do without for communication as in TV, computer, phone and calculator screens.

LC is made from DNA (and science) its an amazing and unique liquid with a different kind of molecular structure which allows in more light than any other molecule. I was hooked ! I Filmed the nature of the flow of matter, using polarising lenses and a microscope. I won some photographic awards and commissions. www.karenneill.co.uk

Walking and foraging most days and having gathered material for years, collecting them in jars and thinking about ‘the work’ for some years. I ‘m interested in entomology, particularly the plight of insect life, especially bees from irresponsible farming using harsh pesticides and weed killers in our rivers as well as the fields and negligent bee keeping.

Before I graduated I studied Silversmithing with Deirdre Welgar and Ive been using some of those skills. There are many processes involved; one piece can take weeks and months to complete.
Working from my studio in Harpenden, I ‘ve built up a considerable body of work. The works have grown so much, about 30 pieces or so. I house them in an old glass cabinet I call it the ‘Cabinet of Curiosities – Renaissance’.

I also paint and practice micro photography.

Commissions welcome

Visits to the studio by appointment only please

View my website http://www.karenneill.co.uk/