Oriana Yates-Butcher
Artists Statement
My work is about the marriage of materials which are usually seen in completely different contexts. I am especially interested in the interaction between the industrial and the domestic, the harshness of plastic, metal and tar against the delicacies of lace, silk and velvet. I wanted to see if they could work together, to create something unexpected, to create a relationship between them, to see which one would dominate and whether or not that would even matter or is completely irrelevant. The varied qualities and strengths of all these materials come through, the acceptance and embracing of one another creates poetic, intriguing and emotive forms. When I begin to play with the materials and combinations I am unaware of the entire transformation and exact outcome, rather just enabling the initial interaction and the first conversation between the materials. My fascination with folds is a common occurrence and I use this technique repeatedly throughout.
I like the unpredictability in some of the extreme processes I use; exposing the material to extreme heat, testing the durability of the materials, noting their reaction. What emerge are tactile, physical and dominating structures, whether it be on a large scale or something small and intimate. For me the excitement comes from only being partly in control of my creations.
Contact Oriana Yates-Butcher
- O.Yates-Butcher1@uni.btighton.ac.uk