An art project and exhibition exploring human relationships with the sea by artists Lorna Barrowclough and Hondartza Fraga
Curio•sea•ty is an artistic collaboration between Lorna Barrowclough and Hondartza Fraga. Our project will explore human relationships with the sea, using objects that help shape our experience of it as a starting point. The notions of the sea’s identity, distance, survival and physicality of the sea will be used as the framework on which to question common associations with the sea and its role in cultural imagination.
The project will begin in May 2014 is fully in campaign through crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. They have created a £ 2,350 budget to be allocated in an initial research period as an exploratory time for experimentation, knowledge and skill exchange, as well as for attending conferences and visiting collections. They are especially interested in the transatlantic relationship and plan to visit museums in North America and Europe. This will be followed by a production period to make the new works and mount a public exhibition.
Portable Grotto, mixed materials, mussel shells, Lorna Barrowclough, 2014
Barrowclough and Fraga are two independent artists who come together and collaborate on this project from two different contexts and methodologies. Lorna will focus on the traditions , heritage and superstitions and Hondartza in scientific and cultural interpretations and marine identity.
Lorna Barrowclough is a visual artist working predominantly with sculpture, collage and photography. Her work is inclusive and experimental. Her recent use of shells and molasses in various installation pieces explores the precious nature of the ‘jewels’ that the sea discards and for which it is plundered for, in particular the Oyster trade (past and present)
Hondartza Fraga uses drawing, photography, animation and video as her main mediums to explore our individual and collective relation to the world around us, the different ‘distances’ between ourselves and everything else: spatial, temporal, emotional, cultural and imagined. Featured in her work are model ships, maps, earth globes and other domestic objects that evoke an idea of travel or faraway places. In the work, these objects act as links between home and elsewhere, questioning the meaning of both terms and our position in-between.
Although both have been involved in small-scale collaborations related to the sea, this is the first time they do focus on the creative process and not the final product. Therefore it is important that they have the opportunity to visit places that can provide them with information, such as visits to collections or other artists so we could see the different existing approaches to the same subject.
Passages for the World”, animation, Hondartza Fraga, 2013
As they say, between two views of the same theme “We have noticed that there are overlapping interests, but also contradictions, challenges and tensions in our work.” It is these contrasts of where they intend to experiment, learn and evolve together unexpectedly.
Both live in Leeds and there is where they have their studios and developed most of their work. When they travel to research sites, will document, share photos online, notes, videos, interviews and pictures so we can follow them throughout the process.
They also will have informed through their blog Curioseaty.wordpress.com and will do “peer to peer” sessions and open sessions in their studios.
In Brit’s Magazine can see the potential of Lorna and Hondartza and their previous work fascinates us, so we are already collaborating, and you … what are you waiting for?
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
To collaborate: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1552753362/curioseaty
To know the artists:
Lorna Barrowclough: http://lornabarrowclough.com/
Hondartza Fraga: http://www.hondartzafraga.com/