Tide Marks was the result of an on-going pre-occupation with the places where land meets sea. For an artist the beach and its hinterland can be the richest source of experience and discovery. Daily it collects treasures and detritus by turn. What I find and work with often carries an identity and history we can only guess at. An object comes my way, with the tide, with the mystery of the movement of wind, sea and sand, or simply the consequence of human negligence.
What appeared in this series of contemplative art works on paper and fabric carries an essence of the coastal landscapes they embody. Marks were made on fabric directly from found items. Impressions were made on paper like imprints in wet sand. Subtle layers of texture were built up by applying a diversity of printmaking and mark-making techniques. Rust prints and collagraph join with the contoured flow of hand-stitched or woven yarns. Using seawater and tea as agents, objects gathered on the beach were allowed to make their mark. Hand stitch added in response to those marks references the way beach material is collected and moved by the action of the waves.
A published book accompanied the exhibition and is available to buy here.
Tide Marks toured between October 2013 and September 2014 and was supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
