Artwork description:

This print is part of a series of works called Petrus. These woodcuts explore soil samples which were collected on a journey around Taunton and the subsequent bacteria from the soil drawn into agar in petri dishes. The part of the journey was drawn on the agar and then left in the dark for the bacteria to grow and spread.
These explore the hidden world of the landscape and form bacteria paintings through living matter growing and forming shapes and colours in agar.

These were then drawn and created as reduction woodcut prints, forming a new form of landscape art, whilst also exploring ideas grounded in Feminism, Poetics and Realism. Like the maps of old which recorded the ever-expanding lands of the world, as people explored strange new lands, bringing home new flora and fauna, the Dutch master cartographers' maps and atlases would proffer as part of their trading, building their nation and their riches, as well as expanding the ever growing research and knowledge as one of many leading lights to the enlightenment of human kind.

The universal symbol of the Circle draws parallels with our reliance of the land, fertility, growth, culture, boundaries and represented notions of the 'feminine maternal principles' and Ecological Feminism.

These images were recently exhibited with many commenting on how it reminded them of very fine embroidery with silver and gold thread.

Materials used:

Oil Paint, Medium, Surrey Paper Stock

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