SKYMAROOTING

On the 1st of August 2011, whilst walking my dogs, I saw a shooting star. This awoke in me some vague recollection that early August is a good time of the year to see shooting stars, and so I decided to keep a record of the falling star I had seen, and any subsequent sightings. I made the same walk each evening and when I saw a shooting star I made a note of the approximate direction it was travelling in and the intensity of its light. I also started to investigate the symbolism behind shooting stars: for many people they represent the departing soul of a recently deceased person.
A couple of months later I acquired a collection of old matchbox labels and the image on the label exhibited here prompted me to think of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Match Girl”. In this very sad story a girl selling matches is dying of cold and lights the last matches that she has to keep warm, which generate visions including a shooting star she believes must be the soul of her dead and much loved grandmother. This inspired me to return to my shooting star diary and experiment with matches, especially as a shooting star is really a small piece of dirt hitting the earth’s atmosphere at enormous speed, and then burning up from friction with the air to produce a brief bright flash of light- thus seeming analogous with a match. I began to burn matches to simulate the journey of a shooting star, and to reform the burnt shards to create representations of those I witnessed in August 2011. The positioning of the stars around the matchbox is specific and relates to the location of my sightings, with the perimeter of the box signifying my walking route.
“Skymarooting” is an old Kentish word for hunting around or seeking something.

RAPUNZEL

Pages from “Rapunzel”, a unique artist’s book with 30 illustrations and 30 pieces of text. I will be publishing more pages from the book shortly…..I have photographed the pages in their entirety (hence the shadows) so that you can see the positioning of the imagery, which alternates with a piece of text.

THE TIME OF THE OWLS 2009-2012

BEE TOMBS 2011

Detail of a found flint with goose down and a found dead bee. Part of an installation of stones and bees: all of the stones having a pre-existing hollowed centre and found on a specific walk on the North Downs outside Canterbury. Part of an ongoing, ever expanding collection.

THE LAST OF ILEDEN

The Lost Domain: house made from daisy petals based on the manor house at Ileden burnt down during World War 2 contained within a found abandoned nest.

Fly Away Home: found car light bulbs, burnt in a fire, containing found dead ladybirds resting on horsehair on old wooden truck

Egg House: house made of moss and paper containing blown duck eggs from an abandoned nest and part of an installation at the Pines Calyx, St Margaret’s Bay (below)

Push-along-dog (Hector Protector): constructed from fragments of a wasps nest and found metal.

AMSTERDAM BOOK PAGES 2007-2010

LACHRYMOSE 2010

“Lachrymose”. This is a basket of 12 branches, each cut to a 12 inch length (the size of a traditional man’s handkerchief). I found the branches on a favourite walk during the snow of 2010: their bark had been completely gnawed away by rabbits leaving them bleached. I wrapped them in white lace hankies, allowing flower and leaf motifs within the lace to appear as buds, perhaps thinking of renewal.

Detail of flower on”bud”

CURRICULUM VITAE

Sara Trillo: Curriculum Vitae

 

Born Ramsgate,1965 (née Wicks)

28 St Peter’s Street, Sandwich, CT13 9BW

01304 619466/ 07708 957069

sara@thedrawingroom.org.uk.

http://www.saratrilloartist.wordpress.com   

Co-director  and studio holder at Limbo, Margate

 

Education

2017 Associate, Open School East

1984-87 BA (Hons) Norwich School of Art

 

Collaborative work with Open School East 2017

The Well, exhibition, OSE/Pettmans Building, Margate (The Quest)

Spelunking with Benedict Drew: at Turner Contemporary, Margate (The Handling Collection, performance with Emma Gibson and Chloe Ashley): at OSE (Stalagmites/Stalactites workshop with Chloe Ashley): and Subterranean Worlds at OSE for Margate Festival (Making Stalagmites workshop with Chloe Ashley)

Incomers Tour: with Sally O’ Reilly, Lido, Margate (sound piece “The Cave”: assisted Chloe Ashley with performative excavation of her piece PS on the Lido raised beach)

Be Magnificent: OSE at William Morris Gallery for Create, London (group performance)

Guest Projects: OSE residency as part of Alternative Art Schools programme (group installation)

The Nightingale with Matthew Darbyshire, OSE, Margate (group performance/installation/workshop)

 

Recent awards/commissions/residencies

2018 AN Bursary

2017 PEATS residency in Sultanhisar, Turkey studying ebru/paper marbling

2017 Residency at Cyprus College of Art, Lemba, Paphos, Cyprus

2016 “Localism and Legacy”, ACE funded archive research commission at the Fleur de Lys Museum, Faversham

2016 “On Margate Sands” Turner Contemporary/Tate Britain Digital Archives research project

2016 “Cardboard Canterbury” homelessness commission for The Beaney, Canterbury in conjunction with the Homeless Film Festival, Manchester

2015 “The Tea Trolley Laboratory” (with Amanda Thesiger): initial research commission from Ideas Test, working with diverse venues since October 2015

2015 “The Beaney Broadsheet”- museum collections commission/residency for The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge, Canterbury

 

Exhibitions/projects 2018

At the Violet Hour, Nayland Rock Hotel, Margate.(collaborative installation with Chloe Ashley (February-March)

Residency, Cyprus College of Art, Lemba, Paphos, Cyprus (April)

Nothing to Nothing, Limbo, Margate . Ten artist project led by Claire Orme and Sophie Dixon (April): part of “Journeys with the Wasteland”, Turner Contemporary.

Ramsgate Sea Dog Festival (June/July)

Solo exhibition, Limbo, Margate (November)

Localism and Legacy (Part 2), Fleur de Lys, Faversham (November)

 

Work in curated exhibitions/projects between 2015 and 1990 includes:

 

Myths, Maps and Monsters, Rose St Cottage of Curiosity, Sheerness 2015

“Doesn’t Look like a Book”, Williamson Art Gallery, Birkenhead 2015

Curiovan: Explorium of Natural Wonderment: first prize winner (selected by artist Richard Wilson) for Matchbox Microcosms touring England 2014

F…Off Poster Factory, UCA, Canterbury 2014

“Curiosity Acquired”, Visual Arts Space, Scunthorpe, February 2013

“The Reference Section”, Kaleidoscope Gallery, Sevenoaks, March 2013

“Fabulous Books Fantastic Places”, The Baltic, Gateshead, June 2013

The Open West, site specific pieces for Newark Park, July 2013: then touring to The Wilson, Cheltenham, October 2013

“Duchamp in Herne Bay”, Bay Art Gallery, Herne Bay, August 2013

London Art Book Fair, Whitechapel Gallery, September 2013

Sheffield Artists Book Prize, Bank Street Arts, Sheffield, October 2013

Manchester Artists Book Fair, Manchester School of Art, October 2013

“Access 10”, Limbo, The Substation, Margate 2012

Whitechapel Book Fair, Whitechapel Gallery, London 2011, 2010

“Kiss-me-quick”, Air Space Gallery, Stoke on Trent 2011

“Fludde”, Drill Hall, Faversham 2011

Art in Romney Marsh, 2010

Generate, Turner Contemporary, Margate 2010/2009/2008/2007

Ko-ax, Mascalls Gallery, Paddock Wood 2007

“Arch”, Hoo Peninsula, Kent 2007

LAB Fair 07, ICA, London 2007

Pines Calyx, Pines Garden, St. Margaret’s Bay 2005/2006

“Mossycoat” commissioned for the Fleur de Lys Gallery, Faversham 2003

Joint exhibition with Susan Cutts at County Hall, Maidstone 2003

“Pathways of Discovery” river installations commissioned for Canterbury Festival 2002 with David Parfitt

Galerie Claude Andre, Brussels 2000

“Synergy”, Municipal Gallery, Roeselare, Belgium, 2000

“Passing Tales”, Palazzo Pretoria, Certaldo, Italy/Royal Museum, Canterbury 2000

Galerij de Witte Beer, Bruges 1998

“Coasting” solo touring show to venues around rural Kent 1997

Contemporary Art Society Art Market at the Royal Festival Hall 1994, 95, 96, 97; at the Smiths Galleries 1990,91,92,93

Galerie Arth a See, Switzerland 1994

Royal Overseas League Open Exhibition 1990, 91, 94

“Books of Life” Galerie Arcana, Montpellier/ Canterbury 1993/94

The London Group, Barbican Centre 1992/93

RSA, London 1993

Gainsborough House, Sudbury 1993

Ikon Gallery, Birmingham touring exhibition 1991/92

 

HASSOCKS

 

Hassocks made for St Mary in the Marsh as part of Art in Romney Marsh 2010, curated by Angela Kingston. The hassocks were made from moss, grasses, and dried flowers gathered from the churchyard and surrounding fields: and the flowers were plaited and embroidered onto the moss to mimic the font of a Georgian painted version of the Lord’s Prayer on the wall of the church.

Hassock is the name given to a cushion knelt upon whilst praying, but can also mean a large clump of grass or sedge.

Skymarooting (installation)

Detail of “Sky Marooting” installation for “Access 10” at The Substation, Margate.

On the 1st of August 2011, whilst walking my dogs, I saw a shooting star. This awoke in me some vague recollection that early August is a good time of the year to see shooting stars, and so I decided to keep a record of the falling star I had seen, and any subsequent sightings. I made the same walk each evening and when I saw a shooting star I made a note of the approximate direction it was travelling in and the intensity of its light. I also started to investigate the symbolism behind shooting stars: for many people they represent the departing soul of a recently deceased person.
A couple of months ago I acquired a collection of old matchbox labels and the image on the label exhibited here prompted me to think of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Match Girl”. In this very sad story a girl selling matches is dying of cold and lights the last matches that she has to keep warm, which generate visions including a shooting star she believes must be the soul of her dead and much loved grandmother. This inspired me to return to my shooting star diary and experiment with matches, especially as a shooting star is really a small piece of dirt hitting the earth’s atmosphere at enormous speed, and then burning up from friction with the air to produce a brief bright flash of light- thus seeming analogous with a match. I began to burn matches to simulate the journey of a shooting star, and to reform the burnt shards to create representations of those I witnessed last August. The positioning of the stars around the matchbox is specific and relates to the location of my sightings, with the perimeter of the box signifying my walking route.
“Skymarooting” is an old Kentish word for hunting around or seeking something.