A Propensity for Kindness

I am a gold and silversmith artist with a practice that gravitates towards being multidisciplinary. I commonly use materials such as paper, metal, CAD modelling and 3-D printing, textiles and more. I have had to diversify and expand the materials and methods I use to create home-friendly artworks during the recent lockdowns. The artworks I make tend to have relationships with nature. This project, A Propensity for Kindness, is a commentary on humanity’s capacity for both kindness and cruelty. It is an open-ended topic that explores three main subcategories: kindness and cruelty to the self, the other and the environment. I ended up focusing heavily on woman’s rights (specifically, to feel safe whilst travelling) and the relationship between animals and technology. As the project progressed it was clear the artworks in this project had developed a motif: the animal. There was also a clear divide between the artworks; those that depicted birds and those that depicted cats. Towards the end of the project I became interested in adding sound more purposefully into my artworks, although it had inadvertently been present before.

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Safety in Numbers, 2021

paper, printer ink, bookbinding glue, glue dots

940 x 550 x 5 mm

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Underbrush, 2021

3-D printed resin, paper, super glue, acrylic paint, metal, bookbinding glue, faux leather, underbrush clump foliage, earth undercoat paint

25 x 130 x 140 mm

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Animal Comforts, 2021

Merino wool, felt, fabric mesh, thread, hook and loop dots, plastic fasteners, MP3 player, portable speakers, cords, pins. Face covering: paper, printer ink, wire, tape

340 x 460 x 280 mm

Sound: royalty free stock sound effect. 'Cat purring 3'. Sourced from https://bigsoundbank.com/detail-1010-cat-purring-3.html

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Volitation, 2021

Tasmanian oak, brass, wood stain, watercolour paper, bookbinding glue, plastic tube, plastic string, lobster clip, 3-D resin print, printer ink, POSCA paint maker, super glue, Goldair desk fan, masking tape  

460 x 420 x 530 mm

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Flocking, 2021  

plywood, paper, plaster cast, earth undercoat paint, bookbinding PVA glue, Static-Tac, static grass, Tasmanian oak, wood stain, plastic tube, plastic string, lobster clips, 3-D resin prints, ink, printer ink, masking tape, matchsticks, black coloured copper wire, acrylic paint, pebbles, underbrush clump foliage, super glue, Goldair desk fan

448 x 750 x 570 mm

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