Details
First Name | Cally |
Last Name | Nurse |
Username | Cally |
Website | |
Region | Fife |
Disciplines | Drawing, Installation, Painting |
Themes | Abstract, Environment, Landscape |
Statement
Statement | Suppose the world doesn’t revolve round we humans? Maybe we’re just part of a network of relationships, between almost anything – even washed-up seaweed? My work explores the ‘chain of connection by which all natural forces are linked together and made mutually dependent upon each other,’ an idea which was first mooted by scientist, explorer, naturalist, Alexander Humboldt (1769-1859). If we accept that we are not separate to the workings of the planet but are deeply entangled then our relationship with the world around us shifts. I combine copper-covered seaweeds, dried kelp stipes, beach finds and mirror in an intricate dance of contrasting materials and dynamic forms. Like dancers, these entanglements create a new unity. To dance with the natural world in a reciprocal relationship, not only taking from it but also giving back to it, offers a possibility of collaborative survival in the face of accelerated change. |
Biography
Biography | After graduating in the mid 1980s with a degree in History of Art and a career in journalism, public relations and charities, I returned to art embarking on a Masters in Fine Art and Humanities at Dundee University in 2020. My research led me to experiment with seaweed, taking it out of context and presenting it in original ways to help us re-evaluate our relationship with the non-human, especially things we usually overlook or avoid. I am keen to continue exploring the notion of ‘collaborative survival’ and the ideas of eco-theorists such as Anna Tsing, Donna Haraway and Karen Barad. Based in The Steeple Studios in Newburgh, Fife, I am currently chair of Open Studios North Fife for 2025 – its 20 anniversary year. |