Life on the Outskirts: Making Sense and Use of a Creative Life
The exhibition at Dorich House Museum showcases material from the Life on the Outskirts digital archiving project with Kingston University, and its capacity for future development in Helen Storey’s work. Also on display will be work from our guest artist, Ceramic Artist, Elaine Wilson. Elaine Wilson will be joining Helen Storey in conversation at the Symposium.
Helen Storey is a celebrated social artist and designer whose career began at Kingston Polytechnic as a student in the Fashion department. After working for major Italian fashion houses and establishing a highly successful fashion business in her name, she now works on public projects that exist in the spaces between design, science, technology, art and the sustainability of creative human practice in contemporary life. The exhibition at Dorich House Museum showcases material from the Life on the Ouskirts digital archiving project with Kingston University, and its capacity for future development in Helen Storey’s work. Helen will be speaking in conversation with Andrew Ibi, course director for MA Fashion at Kingston University and Elaine Wilson.
Elaine Wilson’s practice examines received notions of femininity looking at the way women see them selves and have been seen in historical and social contexts. Many of the sculptures incorporate ceramic processes combined with diverse materials and objects that often reference historical artefacts and ornament. Elaine has been invited to respond to and exhibit work alongside archival collections on several occasions.
Whilst undertaking the Norma Lipman Research Fellowship in Ceramic Sculpture I began to look at figurines, commenting on them with a kind of counter imagery. This influenced a series of small sculptures drawing on the contexts of ornamentation and the romantic ideal. I have developed these works in a much larger sculpture entitled ‘The Washing Away of Untruths’ that will be exhibited at Dorich House in February alongside several other ceramic works.
The Washing Away of Untruths by Elaine Wilson
Ceramic, decals, lustres. 114 x 80 x 40cms
Friday 20 February 2pm–5pm: Symposium
This public event brings together two artists exhibiting in the house of another, Dora Gordine, whose studio home Dorich House is a museum managed by Kingston University. The dialogue between each figure is explored in this symposium, asking how creative people respond to personal and other archive collections and the place of past artefacts within a forward-looking practice. The event title is drawn from the collaborative project between Helen Storey Foundation and Kingston University. Helen will be speaking in conversation with Andrew Ibi, course director for MA fashion at Kingston University and ceramic artist Elaine Wilson.
Limited places available, please book online via Eventbrite
Saturday 21st February 10am-12pm – Half Term Family Workshop
Dorich House Museum will be running a fashion based Half Term Children’s Activity to coincide with this exhibition. £4 per child with accompanying adult free.
Places are limited and must be booked in advance by contacting the museum on 020 8417 5515 or dorichhousemuseum@kingston.ac.uk
Dorich House Museum
Public Open Days
Thursday 19 February – open 11am-4pm
Saturday 21 February – open 11am-4pm
Parking is available on site