Rachel Darbourne was a lecturer on the Crafts and Material Practice BA (hons) at Arts University Plymouth (2016-2024). During the last academic year, 2022-2023, she established a practice led research collaboration with the course leader, Gayle Matthias.
The project is based on an exploration of waste and abjection in relation to materiality, material culture and aesthetics within their individual practice. As craft practitioners who both use waste objects and materials in their work, they wish to identify and define their use of waste. The research project will provide a lens through which they can explore their existing practices and collaborative opportunities.
The starting point for the collaboration was an audit of their waste; both artists keep all materials from their creative process. Time was spent talking with each other and enjoying the range and variety of the shared material library. Rachel’s waste, the remains of the soft toys from Lovingly Murdered, is clean and smells of fabric conditioner, the final work is usually sited on the body so the toys are laundered before she start working with them. Comparatively speaking, Gayle’s waste materials are usually dirty, having been found on the street and in scrap yards.
Please follow the links below for more information on the project.