Mary Down BA (Hons)
“My work is cross disciplinary, the means and materials determined by the primary idea. Much of my work has come out of research into a family genealogy, in particular the way women are represented in the text of written histories. History as a form of sorting and collecting carries with it issues of differences and exclusion. The absence, silence and disqualification of women in both historical records and in contemporary situations are gaps and ommissions I explore in my work. Cultural and ethical issues influence and underlie my practice.
The work comes out of a critical and analytical view, in particular, of gender, race and politics. At the same time I try to make work that is accessible despite an emphasis on formal qualities and an abstract bias. Alongside my main pracice I also make one-off books which combine minimal text with various print media. Typically each project consists of work in a range of different media focused on specific themes.”