Exhibitions
Living Materials, Louise Francis Smith
Living Materials by Louise Frances Smith highlights the fragile, dynamic Thanet coastline, exploring sustainability, climate change, and human impact
The Thanet coastline, with its iconic chalk cliffs and expansive sandy beaches, is a vibrant and ever-changing landscape shaped by the continuous interaction of land, sea, and time. The tides of the North Sea are integral to its rich biodiversity, carving out the shoreline and chalk reefs into a natural wonder of ecological significance. The ebb and flow of these tides mirror the cyclical nature of renewal, revealing layers of history—both past and present—as the sea reshapes the land. However, this delicate balance is now under increasing threat as climate change accelerates. Rising sea levels and extreme weather events, driven by human activity, are disrupting the natural rhythms of the coastline, forcing a reimagining of its future.
Louise Frances Smith’s work engages deeply with this shifting landscape. She explores the textures, forms, and ecological significance of Thanet’s coastline through a collection of sculptures, installations, and works on paper. In doing so, she urges us to look more closely at the fragile ecosystems around us, prompting reflection on how these environments are increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Smith's artistic process is rooted in sustainability and a direct engagement with her local surroundings. She collects natural materials—found objects, land pressings, and seaweed—which she transforms into bioplastic and ash for glazes. These materials become the foundation for her ceramics and sculptures, symbolising the intersection of the natural world and human intervention.
Her approach emphasises the vulnerability of coastal ecosystems, highlighting the looming threat of climate change, and how this is driven by human actions. As Smith’s practice has evolved, she has grown increasingly interested in repurposing and repairing the remnants of her creative process. She draws inspiration from the concept of epibiosis, the symbiotic relationship where one organism lives on the surface of another without causing harm. This idea is reflected in her use of non-native species, like wireweed seaweed and Pacific oysters, which have flourished in UK waters due to rising sea temperatures and human intervention in the 1970s for the oyster industry. These materials bridge the gap between found objects, sustainable practices, and the aftermath of human consumption, creating a powerful dialogue about environmental history and the complex relationships between species.
Smith’s Living Materials project invites viewers to reflect on the fragility and resilience of our ecosystems. The work asks us to reconsider the overlooked beauty in nature, offering a poignant reminder of the ongoing climate crisis and our interconnectedness with the land, sea, and the environmental traces we leave behind. It serves as both an aesthetic display and a call to contemplation, encouraging us to think about the patterns and processes that shape our world. Much like the tides of Thanet, our world is in constant motion, constantly reshaping itself and our understanding of it with each passing wave. Through her work, Louise Frances Smith urges us to acknowledge both the delicate and resilient nature of the environments we inhabit, fostering a deeper connection with the world around us.
Louise Frances Smith’s work engages deeply with this shifting landscape. She explores the textures, forms, and ecological significance of Thanet’s coastline through a collection of sculptures, installations, and works on paper. In doing so, she urges us to look more closely at the fragile ecosystems around us, prompting reflection on how these environments are increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Smith's artistic process is rooted in sustainability and a direct engagement with her local surroundings. She collects natural materials—found objects, land pressings, and seaweed—which she transforms into bioplastic and ash for glazes. These materials become the foundation for her ceramics and sculptures, symbolising the intersection of the natural world and human intervention.
Her approach emphasises the vulnerability of coastal ecosystems, highlighting the looming threat of climate change, and how this is driven by human actions. As Smith’s practice has evolved, she has grown increasingly interested in repurposing and repairing the remnants of her creative process. She draws inspiration from the concept of epibiosis, the symbiotic relationship where one organism lives on the surface of another without causing harm. This idea is reflected in her use of non-native species, like wireweed seaweed and Pacific oysters, which have flourished in UK waters due to rising sea temperatures and human intervention in the 1970s for the oyster industry. These materials bridge the gap between found objects, sustainable practices, and the aftermath of human consumption, creating a powerful dialogue about environmental history and the complex relationships between species.
Smith’s Living Materials project invites viewers to reflect on the fragility and resilience of our ecosystems. The work asks us to reconsider the overlooked beauty in nature, offering a poignant reminder of the ongoing climate crisis and our interconnectedness with the land, sea, and the environmental traces we leave behind. It serves as both an aesthetic display and a call to contemplation, encouraging us to think about the patterns and processes that shape our world. Much like the tides of Thanet, our world is in constant motion, constantly reshaping itself and our understanding of it with each passing wave. Through her work, Louise Frances Smith urges us to acknowledge both the delicate and resilient nature of the environments we inhabit, fostering a deeper connection with the world around us.
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