The Village Choir

 

There Village Choir is a collection about small communities collaborating and wonderful things happening.  It’s about what happens when people group together and discover their judgements and assumptions about others are completely unfounded, and friendships and unions are formed. All the characters are female, and each of them brings something different to the collective.

 

Whilst I was working on this group I was visiting the National Trust property Calke Abbey in Derbyshire frequently for another project.  I found the maintained deterioration of the house a heavy influence, with its torn highly decorated wall papers, chipped paint and long dark corridors a strong prompt of the lives once there.  The decorative element of the house and stunning wild grounds inspired the decoupage bases, with their wild life, artwork and layers of chintz patterns.  I wanted the figures to feel strongly feminine and included lots or foraged organic materials – like feathers, dried flowers and grasses to convey a feeling of strength in the pieces, whilst keeping an aesthetic softness to them.   

 

All of the pieces are titled and signed, and are made using recycled materials, found objects, hand-cut papers and are encased in reclaimed glass domes.  The story of each one comes in a small handmade book together with care instructions.  The pieces vary in height from 27cm to 48cm.