Metamorphosis and Otherworlds

We have a show at Ysgol Celf Caerfyrddin (Carmarthen School of Art). It is a group ehibition by some of the staff and students called Metamorphosis and Otherworlds. It is running in tandem with another show, Thin Place, at Oriel Myrddin .

Tracy Young

Peter Spriggs and Jonathan Cox

For this show I have created twenty cyanotypes of plants that are believed to be protective against evil. Traditionally they were hung as garlands or draped on window sills to keep the inhabitants safe.

All the plants which I photographed grow in or near to my home and I could have included more but it was getting quite late in the year so I missed some of them. Luckily I already had a few images, like the Foxgloves and Herb Robert, that were suitable for the purpose.

Most of the work which I now make involves investigating my home, its wildlife and its history.

When restoring and repairing parts of our house we found iron under every threshold, red wool thread in a wall and a very old shoe on the chimney. This is what prompted me to look at ideas and objects associated with safeguarding the home from unseen malevolent forces. The iron, the red wool and the shoe survived reasonably intact as evidence of these beliefs, their pressence thought to have a long term effect. The fragile nature of plants, however, would have required fairly frequent renewal, perhaps at set times of the year and on occasions like the birth of a child.

The exhibition is interesting and diverse and I hope to take some more photos next week.