Harrogate students’ work highlights mental health at local exhibition
A couple of master’s students from Harrogate College are set to exhibit their topical artwork at Rural Arts in Thirsk from 12 August.
Stacey Sinclair and Gordon Wheatley are studying the Creative Practice degree and will be showcasing the culmination of their talents to the wider public.
The exhibition will be open from 10 to 17 August, preceding the college’s wider MA Creative Practice exhibition, hosted on campus from 28 August until 13 September.
Gordon’s work examines how nature is reclaiming disused industrialised areas, using drone footage to offer a new perspective.
Stacey’s work centres on mental health, she said: “My work was inspired by the growing number of friends and family who have suffered poor mental health. It seemed that everyone I talked to regarding the subject had their own story to tell, and I felt it important for these people to know that they are not alone in their experiences.
“By collaborating with individuals who have been diagnosed with mental illnesses, I have attempted to realise an illustrative, visual representation of their illness.”
Stacey used her master's to explore this subject through narrative tableaux and analog photography, utilising dying techniques such as hand colouring and combination printing.
She will be starting an artist in residency in September/October, with a view to complete a PhD in the coming years.
