Connective tissue
This project had two parts, first was running workshops with adults with disabilities exploring the mechanisms of the body. I enjoyed working with this committed group in Richmond as we took inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci, created wings, thought about our spines, bones and muscles.
The second part was a residency at University of Hertfordshire Galleries, which is now called UH Arts + Culture. This opportunity enabled deeper engagement with thinking about the body. I talked with biomedical scientists at the University and visited the physiotherapy department. I was drawn to the connective tissue in the body and how this is so essential – keeping us connected, moving smoothly – yet it is often over looked. An invisible force holding us together. See images of what I made here and watch the film below.
The unusual gallery space was very fitting for this solo show with it’s ‘bodily’ features. See below text from the curator Annabel Lucas and you can watch a video on the artwork page.
The artists residency at UH Galleries, University of Hertfordshire, came together in an installation that explored textile processes and architectural features within the gallery space, in relation to the mechanisms and materials within the human body.
The Art and Design Gallery is a distinctive space articulated through a series of white steel pillars, with a soft, plastic inflated roof. Murton integrates her sculptural elements within its skeletal frame, introducing collections of visceral threads held in differing degrees of tension. This subtle web extends though the space, embedded in mesh sheets behind the gallery walls and at points reaching up to connect with the organic ceiling.
I had funding from Arts Council England which enabled me to link these projects together and have an exhibition and events with a symposium.. The events included a workshop to PGCE students and a session in a school for children with learning difficulties. It ended with an onstage session as part of the Big Draw with 350 primary children in an auditorium!