Original artwork description:

Slate is of sedimentary origin, formed from the deposits of minerals collected on the beds of ancient seas millions of years ago and forced to the surface by the movement of the Earth's crust, retreating seas and glaciation. Eventually it was quarried by man to provide shelter from the elements and became eroded and marked by this exposure and also by man-made pollutants in the atmosphere.

I like the idea of working with slate because of the age and nature of the material. I am interested in the journey from the seabed to the quarry, from the quarry to the rooftop, and from the rooftop to the artwork.

In ‘Brook’, I have used 6 broken pieces of slate, washed away the grime that had collected over the years to reveal the natural textures and colouring of the rock. These are set in a landscape format, with a narrow space between that has been painted blue to contrast and runs horizontally through the centre of the work. The 2 straight lines scratched into each row of slate with a sharp point is to add interest and to further carry the eye horizontally across the image.

The work is then glazed and framed with a plain 3 cm flat white wooden surround and ready to hang. 78x40x2cm

Materials used:

Recycled roof slate

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