Fragments

The catalyst for the collection was recalling many childhood visits to Kemnay; a local granite quarry in Aberdeenshire, where my great-grandfather had worked as a quarryman. His graphic recollections of the dynamite explosions resonated deeply, often visualising the explosive fragments of rock and dust in motion as the detonated granite was ignited. Personal family narratives that explore ideas and a journey of my grandad’s career, as he moved from quarrying in Aberdeenshire to exploring what it means to be a quite collar worker. Creating visual links to artists such as Cornelia Parker, who often uses destructive forces to produce her works, I have explored the tensions found between contrasting materials, the body and fragmentation, to create a collection that explores my grandad’s narrative from quarrying to working in Aberdeen city.