Frances Priest
.jpg "Gifts and Occupations visits the Botanic Gardens, 2010. Photography by Stephen McGarry")
'Gifts & Occupations' was produced for the Craft Scotland project 'Meet Your Maker' co-curated by Rose Watban at the National Museum of Scotland in January 2010 and re-presented at Timespan in Helmsdale in May 2010 co-curated by Panel. The work was conceived as a handling collection of repeating ceramic forms referencing ornamental motifs and patterns. Audiences were invited to interact with the work, handling and examining the individual pieces and re-arranging them to make new compositions and repeat patterns. In addition to the exhibited work a smaller collection of objects were housed in a portable carry case which travelled to venues outside the museum. These included art centres, sheltered housing groups, schools, hospitals and Edinburgh Fringe Festival events 'House Cabaret' and 'The Secret Grove of The Garden'.
'Gifts & Occupations visits the Botanic Gardens Edinburgh' is a stop-frame animation documenting one of the trips I made with the carry case.
Based at Edinburgh Ceramic Studio in Coburg House, Frances is currently working on residency projects for Artlink Edinburgh and Yorkshire Artspace Sheffield. Her work is concerned with exploring the possibilities of combining a craft based studio practice with work in socially engaged contexts. Materials and processes of making are predominantly clay based but reach toward drawing, printmaking, installation, participation, collaboration, design and architectural intervention. Her work is included in collections including National Museums of Scotland, the V&A and The Fitzwilliam Museum.
www.francespriest.co.uk