Sarah Pennington
Sarah's practice could be termed sculptural re-framing of archival material, incorporating many processes – such as casting, printmaking, metal-smithing, boxed assemblage, sewing, artist books, film and sound installation – to produce engaging provocative artworks.
A significant element of her methodology is to select objects from everyday life or found within the environment. She combine these with found texts and images, plus hand crafted elements, to illuminate a narrative derived from that place, to discuss a social situation, or expound a universal theory. Walking plays a part in the idea development and material gathering, in tandem with broad research around a theme, before picking key subjects and paths to focus on.
Sarah often employ a museological style of display, both of the objects and accompanying contextual imagery and information, but combined with a contemporary twist to deliver work in the hope that people can relate and respond to, but also be surprised and intrigued by, and feel warmed by whilst learning from.
With 20years experience developing and facilitating meaningful projects with all ages and demographics, social engagement is integral to my practice and processes of enquiry. She returned to her personal arts practice in 2012 with a self-directed residency in the Outer Hebrides. This residency, Revelations on the Edge, is where she began to more fully recognise and develop her practice of taking social, historical or site-specific starting points, then responding materially to the prevalent concepts through what she found and was shared, picking up reminiscences from locals encountered along with the objects. Following this successful and motivational experience, Sarah acquired a place on the AA2A course at Hull School of Art & Design, then undertook an MA in Fine Art Practice and Research at Sheffield Hallam University, 2013-16, where she continued to develop this manner of working.
Sarah recently started HARI (Hull Artist Research Initiative) with two other Hull based artists / arts professionals, David Cleary and David Priestman. Their aim is to encourage and enable opportunities for greater experimentation with practice, recognition of research, and increased depth of public engagement.
