Jilly Morris
Artist's statement

My current practice explores the communication between the intuitive mark and the constructed mark, combining the dynamic energy of the intuitive drawn line with different disciplines of craft in a contemporary and conceptual way. Recent pieces explore the dialogue between diverse combinations of materials, such as: thread, unfired porcelain slip, fired enamel and wire. Drawing is a vital component of my practice, because of its potential transference to other materials. Through translation and juxtaposition the boundaries between art and craft begin to blur.

Working with a neutral palette, my work to date conveys a quiet and almost spiritual sense of calm, yet on closer inspection there lays a darker edge as wire protrudes or intravenously penetrates, and threads cascade. My work is highly tactile, fusing a wide range of media to build up layers of textures, rhythms and forms. An important aspect of my work is the use of repetition. Each hand-made mark or motion, when repeated, gives a detailed uniqueness in that every one is individual. Each contains its own breath, its own moment.

I am currently interested in how memory affects us culturally and independently; how it is collected, recalled, held and lost. I am fascinated by the importance of memory, both individually and collectively; mappings of memories that retain a physical presence and therefore hold potential wisdom. My interest in memory stems from my Masters Degree (MA by Research - Design), completed in 2006. I researched memories via the wounded body and scars, which create embodied geographies; for example, a simple cut on a finger tells a story and remembers a moment. I believe the body both holds and maps the truth of the experience.

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