Mersea Floriligeum

This collection of work started by studying the Flora of the intertidal zone on the shores of Mersea Island where I live.

From initial sketches I started to explore the fine networks of roots that these plants have and that help to stabilise the fragile coastline from the incursions of the sea.

I started to develop delicate weblike veils inspired by Purslane which grows in profusion and Sea Holly, which has become vulnerable to human incursions and is rapidly disappearing from our shorelines. I was creating these pieces over various lockdowns and also became aware of the commonality between these root webs and the digital connections forged between family and friends to sustain us through times of separation and incorporated binary code and digital locations of the plants.

The second strand of my work for Transformation is an installation ‘Lenses’ - a single, optically transparent device shaped/designed to allow the transmission and refraction of light to create a specific and controlled optical outcome.

These semi transparent discs move kinetically and focus in on sections of the plants,I have encountered over the year on my lockdown walks, my thoughts and focus  occasionally zooming in to abstracted moments in time a celebration of the visual and the cellular.