Sally Wadsworth
mixed-media
32cm x 18cm
Title Outside the outside: Finding the Grotesque in the Landscape
The sculptor Sean Henry is renowned for placing his works in busy public places, often in churches. Henry’s latest exhibition: ‘Am I my Brother’s Keeper?’ (2024) is situated in Ely Cathedral where modern people are sited in niches normally reserved for bishops or saints. The juxtaposition of ancient and modern, and the living and the dead, is very appealing to me. My other interest is the stone grotesques found in church architecture.
A photograph of a scar near Hawes, North Yorkshire, revealed the outline of a creature. Five different grotesques were incorporated, which require close inspection in order to find them all.
The final artwork enabled me to assemble my dual interests of ecclesiastical architectural decoration with the natural landscape into a single work. This will act as a springboard for my future practice.
“ The use of a sketchbook on a regular basis has been useful during the course: I will definitely take this forward into the future. I particularly enjoyed the printmaking module, and found Mary Dalton an inspirational artist.”