Introducing our new Artist in Residence

Introducing Clare Lane, the new Artist in Residence at Sunny Bank Mills. My Practice is a hybrid of two careers’ the first in surveying and architecture and the second in art and textiles. These two aspects of my life have formed a synthesis, which underpins my practice today. With the key themes of my work being informed by colour, place and perception of space, my primary visual interest is in the portrayal of our built environment as the landscape of a modern urban society. I am particularly interested in the nature of spaces which have shifted out of mainstream and might now seem peripheral to day to day society. These are often sites of previous industrial use, once the hub of human activity and central to a community, but now seen as areas of urban dereliction and poverty. Whilst these sites represent an important part of our history and may even attract a nostalgic interest, it is the nature of a site in transition, on the cusp of change attracts me. Its about potential. You can imagine therefore, that my residency at Sunnybank Mills is an ideal space for me to play in! It is a complex already in a state of flux with things changing on a daily basis. For the duration of my residency (1 year) I am trying to document the dynamic and transitional essence of the site. We know the Mill’s history, its industrial and social heritage which is being preserved though its archives and through its historical working community, and we can see the plans for its future starting to unfold. However much of the Mill complex is still in limbo, neither one thing or another and it is this temporary nature which interests me. I am currently exploring key transitional buildings on the site, recording its current state and gradual changes. I am exploring and collecting remnants of its previous existence, creating something akin to a cabinet of curiosity and gathering remains as if on an archaeological dig! My usual work combines photography and digital imaging with abstract pattern design to produce compositions, which are more akin to contemporary tapestry. I will be exploring this further during my residency but I am also experimenting with new processes as a means of investigating and developing ideas. This will form the basis of an exhibition based on the Mill in autumn next year. So watch this space…. My blog  recording the residency will also be available here soon. If you interested in seeing my current work, this is available on my website: www.urban-fabric.co.uk

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