It was the realisation that I should stop being the educatee and use the experience of school, both statutory and art school, to progress my work; that, and spending holidays in catholic churches. I’m an atheist Protestant educated in a convent; with a healthy obession with religious iconography and its affect on adolesence, my seventies culture and how we commemorate success in this life and reference the next.
I have slowly made my way to the framers today having sustained an art related injury. Heavy sanding of a collage in wood has given me tennis elbow and a dodgy shoulder. My collage being framed is based on ‘young Christian martyr’ – apt; art hurts
Time to face up and frame up;
Two Art of the School collages are off to be framed in gold. They will be behind glass, looking like those religious prints beloved of faith schools in the 50’s and 60’s. Next collages will be ‘St Peter Chanel of the Staffroom’ and ‘St. Catherine: Indian Princess’.
Romancing the studio space :
There’s the medals, the collages, the paintings; I like keeping at least three projects on the go. I couldn’t focus on one thing for any length of time. The easel with the painting (project Family Tree) the table for the cutting (project Art of the School) and the desk for the medall (project commemorating my subconcience); my dad always had studio and I wanted one from childhood; a studio is the most beautiful space in the world.
Youth crime versus the inside of my head:
It’s been a real work/art balance this week. Obsessively looking for images for my latest medal collage versus the reality of managing the vulnerable real lives of young offenders. the aesthetic in my head and the reality of legal highs, homelessness and rejection. Art keeps me real and my art is very detached from the people I work with; I like it that way
I have spent today going through the art school portfolio belonging to my dad; effectively plundering his intellectual copyright. He was obsessed as a writer that people were pinching his ideas. We spoke about collaborating before his death; I don’t think he thought it would include his juvenilia circa 1946. It deserves another medal
Becky comes from an artistic and literary background based in Brixham Devon. She studied art in the early seventies but got diverted by literature and, latterly, the social development of adolescents. The research undertaken as part of her MA reconnected her to her own adolescence and its influences. She is a published poet and performs her poetry. Her anthology ‘Nick’s Gift’ was published in October 2019. She runs Stanza Extravaganza spoken word event in Torquay Devon and is a member of Torbay Culture Board. Highly commended for “Last offices’ Torbay Poetry Festival National Competition 2018 Two works shortlisted for Society of Women Artist - Mall Galleries 2022 - result pending Bursary Award for 'Art of the School' solo exhibition March 2022 ‘The anchorhold – 1971’ has been selected and sold at The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2021 Her work “Bedroom shrine to the virgin of the rocks” was shortlisted for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2017 and highly recommended alternative or mixed media in the show – Torbay Guild of Artists 2018. Also Best alternative/mixed media and best painting in show for ‘St Peter Chanel of the Staffroom’ Torbay Guild of Artists 2018 ‘Dorothy chasing rainbows’ has been selected best acrylic painting in the show – Torbay Guild of Artists Exhibition 2021 ‘I am not a romantic’ selected by SWAc Open Exhibition 2021 Becky is a UNESCO English Riviera Ambassador Artist Themes: · Influence of religious dogma on childhood, adolescence and feminism and an emerging female artist in the Seventies · Referencing the objects, places and influences in Becky’s past including rock music and popular culture · Rituals, past and present, that influence the future Becky paints mainly in acrylic but she also uses mixed media including parts of her original childhood and art student works which are collaged into paintings. Works with a reference to religious iconography replicate the paintings in convent schools. Becky sometimes includes works by her father and children to show the artistic tradition that runs through her family. “Visiting Artists” is Becky’s blog on her website; recalling the influence of her artist father, his friends, convent education and art school education on her life
