Ancestors Exhibition
Walton-On-Thames Library
06 Aug - 03 Sept 2018
It has been a privilege to work with my local library team (Haley.Jenkins @surreycc.gov.uk) planning and producing the Ancestors exhibition. Heritage and the sense of identity, 'Who
am I?', is a human concern for diverse cultures across the
globe. Oral histories recounted from generation to generation, to those transcribed,
documented and archived, can provide the researcher with rich information for
narratives and discourse. Armed with a little knowledge of ancestors' names, I began to investigate their story through the library's access to genealogy databases. The further I excavated, small details of my family story began to be revealed. It can be a laborious task in triangulating snippets of information from censuses, birth, marriages and deaths, to army and diocese records, but can be a rewarding pursuit. Much of my research has
underpinned and shaped many of my Mammet works. The process of
communicating the ‘close-up’ stories of human relationships became a format for
the artworks to reveal and retell genealogical narratives from a different
angle. This exhibition showcases photographs, light boxes and sculptures, capturing a temporal expression of life and character for the absent, connecting the past with the present.
Alongside the library's stock of genealogy reference materials, the artist's book Oxon Pilgrimage is on display for the audience to observe how the exhibited Mammets were taken on a pilgrimage to their ancestral origins in Oxfordshire. Recorded in the book are the rural hamlets and the parish church at Pishill which became the backdrop for connective, performative actions. Finding out a little of who I am has given me much satisfaction and has provided me with a platform for further creative projects.
Comments
Post a Comment