GEOANTHROPOLOGY

image credit Susan Castillo 

I am so excited to share this showcase of my latest project ahead of its launch this afternoon at Collect Fair, the leading international fair for contemporary craft and design, as part of Crafts Scotlands showcase Close to Hand. 

Held at Somerset House in London, the 20th edition of the Fair will run from 1-3 March 2024, with previews 28-29 February.

If you want to see or read more about the fair you can visit Craft Scotland website here

image credit Susan Castillo 

Ongoing for the last 10 months this is a research-based collection that investigates the way humans have and are manipulating, enhancing, exploiting, inventing and problem solving with rocks.

Each rock has been part of a process invented to improve our daily lives spanning 3 million years. This work is an open conversation around the use of natural materials and some of their most ingenious and inventive uses. Some I have recreated by and others have been collaborations with other artists, makers and scientists.

The jewels act as conversation pieces, interchangeable specimen frames to hold the different rock inserts, each telling their own story.

Geoanthropology brings together all parts of my creative practice: rocks, environmentalism, collaboration and interest in deep time. The aim was to explore the ways humans have made use of rocks from stone age times. This is the story so far.

There have been many collaborators on this project to help me express and showcase my ideas. Each rock tells a story, written in the publication.

The collection includes

Stoneage flint

Limestone

Metal Ore

Ceramics

Faïence

Scagliola

Spent Shale

Concrete

North Sea Core (Permian Zechstein Salt)

Plasticglomerate

K Brig

Glaze Waste

Mineralised Basalt

This publication was designed and illustrated by Vojta from Rocks on Paper. He has carefully hand painted each specimen I have used before cutting. 

Box customised by This is Makers 

Stone collaborations with Morven Mulgrew, Chalk Plaster and Coth Studio.

Stones sourced from North Sea Core, Kenoteq, Studio Frostwood and local geologists. 

Images and art direction with Susan Castillo. 

More in-depth details to follow soon. 

Booth Talk 

If you are visiting the show I will be hosting a talk and handling session at 4pm Friday 1st March 

Find out more about the booth talk here

Craft Scotland have hosted a Q&A about the work that can be read here. 

Full sets are available through Craft Scotland and direct with myself for individual ones.