Marion Smylie
Pro Vice Chancellor's Award 2022MA Fine Art
Instagram: @marion.smylie.art
Artist Statement:
Telling stories is at the heart of my interdisciplinary arts practice. Initially trained in theatre, I later studied BA Visual Performance and also worked as an illustrator. Focusing on ecology and the curious entanglements of interspecies relationships, I work in a bio-inclusive way, collaborating with dynamic non-human beings who encourage me to think differently. The pieces in the show were produced from a deep engagement with place over the course of the MA. I am particularly drawn to fungi and find the metaphors that arise from this relationship helpful. Fungi is surprising, breaks boundaries, decomposes, explores, un-makes, recycles, connects, builds and evokes a sense of wonder- which is an essential tool for the times in which we live. By paying attention and engaging with the other-than-human world we can begin to re-imagine and shape the future of our shared existence.
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