Honor Anderson (she/her)

The work is rooted in a collection of found metal objects, originally discovered by Jim Carruthers. Jim lent me his entire personal collection of metal-detected objects. I explored their degrading rusted state through photography, drawing and conversation over a matter of months. Jim was willing to share information and stories he had behind the objects; providing insights into what the materials meant to him added depth to these discarded items.

I saw this process as a curation of Jim’s personal collection, taking what he had gathered and transforming it through drawing and textiles. The work considers what these objects represent, a collection of human-made objects, buried underground, abandoned, and forgotten. The evident impact the earth has had on these objects over time, forces one to question the reverse; the impact humans have on the earth. Considering this led to my practice becoming environmentally conscious and mindful of the mark textiles has on the earth. To ensure my personal impact on the planet is slim, I have worked using solely scrap fabrics, remnants, and second-hand clothing.

Through experimentation with natural dyes, rust-staining and digital print I have developed processes that explore textile printing consciously. I envision the textiles to be exhibited in a gallery context, displayed alongside Jim’s metal objects. Combining these two material collections draws parallels between the past, present and future – encouraging the consideration of material evolution throughout time.