My Statement
I am currently completing my first year at Salford University doing a degree in Fine Art. I have concentrated on my photography again after many years of not really having any interest in it. Below I have put an extensive library of my work to date using film and then hand developing the film, which then gets scanned for use in digital work or developing in the darkroom to produce prints on light sensitive photographic paper. All the images are a response to being in the queer community, having access to these very private spaces, being allowed to enter and take photographs is an absolute honour and privilege.
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Off the back of the photography I have made a few pieces of wearable art in response to the collaboration with each person who took part. Below are a few items that I have started working on and intend to showcase in the future at an event.
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What came before…
Last year I finished my Foundation art and design course at The Manchester College. I am very process driven and love to experiment then evaluate my work on an ongoing basis, always looking for new ways to improve or push the art onto its next stage. At the beginning of the course, I found that I had a fascination with gold that has linked most of my work, a gold thread if you will. I have used basic ingredients to create the pieces below, Cyanotypes, Pollen and oil, Gold leaf, bicarb of soda and tea to stain the images. I absolutely love using cyanotypes and have been experimenting with mixing my own formula. I also care about recycling and am passionate about making bound books using leftover scraps in the art room, sharing this skill with my peers too, making all my sketchbooks with last years paper. My next unit (4) will use cyanotypes, gold leaf, embroidery, natural dyes, ceramics and even wirework or jewellery to recreate the decay process in the coins from my collection, the chemistry of all this is fascinating for me and I aim to investigate and evaluate throughout the whole process.
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Below is a selection of the work from my Final Major Project at college. I decided that the class is full of students from around the world and these images are my response to the multi cultural vibe in the classroom.
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All the images on the rug and cushions, have been created, after I made a print for each of the students on my course. This is to show where they are from, or have an attachment to. The idea is to show compassion and empathy for everyone who has fled their country, my piece will bring everyone together in an area where the chattering voices resembles the tinkling of change in your pocket. Change in all its polysemy, whether as a verb or adjective points towards the fact that change is needed in the world, people don’t benefit from displacement and war. Compassion is a commodity that we all have if we just have the grace to understand each person’s point of view and situation.
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This dress represents the fragility of countries, their borders, the monarchy, the government and currency. Everything is transient, nothing stays the same. Inspite of this people are resilient, this is conveyed by the movement and versatility of the dress, it looks fragile but is strong, it adapts to the surroundings and endures, much like people who are displaced, or those who face trauma. In addition to this there is a tinkling of the ceramic coins that resonates with us on a very organic level, like the chattering and laughter of people when they are content.
Below is some of my previous work.
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Here is a selection of my cards that are available to buy.
These have been based on the natural form of plants and also from my collection of coins which range from an 1864 Napoleon coin to a Ceylon coin that pre dates WW2 before it became Sri Lanka. Other images show an American coin and a Russian coin, which have been enlarged using a macro camera, then developed using the cyanotype technique. The gold leaf signifies the gold that all coins were once made from.
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Wearable Cyanotypes
These are 2 examples of the Ceylon coin that I have used in my work. You can see the beautiful patina on the surface which has led to some really interesting results in my cyanotypes
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Previous work
A piece was commissioned that would be auctioned off and this is the result, which originated from me looking at the atomic makeup of the substance and then my response to these images. I started off by drawing onto tracing paper then using sellotape I removed the graphite, this then led me onto a series of experiments in the dark room using photograms and wire to create the images below.
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I looked at the natural world for my inspiration for this mono print workshop, this was a fun exercise that I have followed through with other pieces. The piece on the right is a response to the ongoing conflict in Palestine and Israel, the pollen from lilies I have used represents death and the smudges and lines from mono-printing were a free hand expression of the destruction I was seeing on the news, which has led me to consider this subject for my FMP.
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Collage is a new love of mine, having recently discovered it on the foundation course I am really looking forward to creating more pieces. I have included this fabric collage as it incorporates many different disciplines in one piece, like the embroidery, cyanotype printing, embellishments and gold leaf. The number 5 links back to the coin.
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Life Drawing is a firm favourite of mine and below is my favourite piece as I have learnt to loosen up and became much more fluid in my style.
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Influences
One of the biggest influences has been Ian Cale, a tutor at TMC. After seeing his lecture I have had my eyes open to Collage along with him teaching us various printing techniques. These are the 2 collages that really resonate with me as the tell a story, the “Dancing in the summer meadow” image was a small scrap of wallpaper that came from his urban exploration in Germany.
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Karen Worsley Art 
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