Bringing The Outside In

Under Construction

I started experimenting with ways of constructing an external ‘wall’ internally. Testing different methods of hanging and attaching

These led me to question whether the panels should be displayed in individual sections or as a continuous one? Whether to overlap or to join? To curve or run straight?

Also, what would be the best distance from the existing internal wall? How would my internal wall reflect the external curtain wall?

All images ©Kate Grimes

Building Blocks

Moving from inside to the balcony situated on the outside of the studio space, I started experimenting with imprints.

Whilst preparing the paper, I wanted to capture the traces that had been left by previous students as well as any debris that had fallen from the wall when taking the flower pieces down. As a way of preserving those who had worked and inhabited the space before me.

From the floor to the curtain wall which has started to move and distort, the imprints highlighting the fragility of the space contained inside and the illusion of the brick’s solidity.

All images/video ©Kate Grimes

Suspended

Further explorations of encasing flowers using alternative materials and methods.

The sunflowers were given to me by one of my peers and the roses, as with the flowers used for the wall installation, were kindly donated by Sainsburys!

All images ©Kate Grimes

Scaling Up

Having been working on a small scale, the new space has started to free my work up on a larger scale and given me the opportunity to explore how things sit and inhabit space in relation to each other. These series of tests were made during a period of indecision as to which direction to move in next…

Part of the Process

The use of cut flowers within my work is in relation to process and preservation. These delicate objects that are used in various ways, as markers of events and ritual, to brighten our homes, are literally, dying in front of us.

Thrown out after losing their freshness and appeal, I am investigating ways of prolonging their lifespan, giving them an alternative direction not just in the physical sense but also in their meaning. The effects their cultivation has on their surrounding and subsequent environments during the process is something that is not necessarily widely known or considered by the consumer.