HARRIET HILL artist
Harriet Hill is based in South East London. She works with sculpture, site-specific installation and interactive live art that responds to the visceral qualities of materials, physical space and social frameworks. These may be structural, spatial, experiential or tactile. She is interested in the way these elements affect us and how they can be manipulated.
Working in a playful and dynamic way Harriet uses familiar, evocative materials to create sculpture and installations that stimulate narrative by investing the space into the work. By revealing or highlighting what is already there a viewer’s perception of an object and it's environment can be shifted or changed.
This methodology also applies with a move into live, publicly engaged art through her letter costumes. Working collaboratively with performers, videographers and photographers, Harriet groups these wearable sculptures into words to make singular, resonant statements. Taking them on walkabout through public spaces the letters talk to people as they go about the word and its meanings. These mobile artworks investigate similar ideas to her static work: "My installations play with the dynamic of a space, becoming alive when the viewer moves through them; the peopled words are alive themselves, moving amongst the viewers and through the space."
Harriet supports her practise working in art fabrication.
EDUCATION:
2006-07: MFA TEXTILES, Goldsmiths College, London
1984-87: BA Hons, FINE ART: Cardiff
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS & EVENTS:
UPCOMING:
21st October to 4th November: WE WERE MADE IN THE DARK: group exhibition at ASC Gallery, London SE17 2DG
‘Self Portrait as an Artist’ is a new work that plays on ideas around validation. I will be bringing the costume back into the gallery setting, using it as an absurdist, performative tool to reflect personal scrutiny and provoke questions about the gallery as Establishment.
I will be ‘wearing’ my costume through part of the opening event on Friday 21st, probably between 7 and 8 pm
On Saturday 22nd at 4pm I will perform a 5 minute action on the costume as part of JOKAklubi’s The Theory Show.
2022:
PEACE CAMP: co-curated event at Beaconsfield Gallery including P.E.A.C.E Walks and 'Watchtower''
GROVING 2022 "Relic": Bury St Edmunds
HOME-ing film shown at:
BORDERLINES Film Festival, Hereford
PORTOBELLO Film Festival, London
2021:
COMPANIONS: group show with the Feminist Library at Forum Box Gallery in Helsinki
GROVING 2021 "Monuments": an exhibition on the streets of Bury St Edmunds
HOME-ing: a live art odyssey 22nd June - 25th July.
HOME-ing film screenings at The Feminist Library, Peckham, The Sidney Nolan Trust, Herefordshire.
2019:
INDEX Festival, Wakefield, Yorkshire Sculpture International fringe: "H.O.M.E."
SCULPT by Art in the Churches, North Yorkshire: "Rock of Ages"
TAKE BACK CONTROL, Crypt Gallery, London: group show responding to coverage of the Brexit referendum 2016
PECKHAM FESTIVAL: Film screenings
HOME on the High Street, Slough: "H.O.M.E."
2018:
TATE Exchange, London: Female filmakers in Southwark showreel
"PEOPLE MAKE PECKHAM" at Peckham Festival
M2(at)15, APT Gallery: "M3"
OBS Gallery, Tonbridge: "Wall Stitch"
2011-18:
OPEN STUDIO at The Nunhead Art Trail
2017:
"P.E.C.K.H.A.M." at Peckham Festival
WORD PLAY, Forest Gate Arts, London: group show
OBS Gallery, Tonbridge: collection of maquettes
2016:
BREAD AND JAM, London: group show. "Karzy Camo"
2015:
FRESH AIR SCULPTURE, Gloucestershire: group show. "Black & Gold"
2013/14:
National Sculpture Prize, Broomhill Art Foundation, Devon: "CONSTRUCT"
2012:
"HOLE IN WALL", M2 Gallery, London: solo show
2011:
ASYLUM CHAPEL, Peckham, London: group show
2008:
BUSSEY BUILDING, London: installation
FREIGHTLINERS FARM, Islington: residency
"ANIMAL, VEGETABLE, MINERAL", Deptford Arms: solo show
2007:
MFA GRADUATE SHOW, Goldsmiths
2006:
BREWERY ARTS, Cirencester: solo show
LLOWES COURT, Hay-on-Wye: joint show
FIBRE, The Craft Centre and Design Gallery, Leeds
2005:
ROYAL EXCHANGE, Manchester: solo showcase
GALANTHUS GALLERY, Herefordshire: solo show
WASHINGTON GALLERY, Penarth: solo show
CHELSEA CRAFTS FAIR 2005
UNDER CONSTRUCTION Gallery Top, Derbyshire
2004:
LLANTARNAM GRANGE ARTS CENTRE, Cwmbran
THE MEADS GALLERY, Warwick University: solo showcase
2003:
THE GUARDIAN HAY FESTIVAL, Hay-on-Wye: solo show
HAMPTON COURT, Herefordshire: Outdoor sculptural commission
PUBLICATIONS:
2019:
WORDPOWER: LANGUAGE AS MEDIUM: features "P.E.C.K.H.A.M."
Published by: Library X: BOOK I ISBN: 9780993175152, BOOK II ISBN: 9780993175183
THE FEMINIST TOILET: featuring "Karzy Camo" and "Dry Wall"
2006:
CRAFTS Magazine, March/April issue: LOOKOUT article
AWARDS:
2021:
ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND: National Lottery Project grant for 'HOME-ing'
2006:
CRAFTS COUNCIL and UKTI: funded research trip to New York
2005:
ARTS COUNCIL OF WALES: grant to exhibit at Chelsea Craft Fair
ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND: promotion at PULSE fair
RESIDENCIES:
2016/17:
COPELAND PARK, Peckham
2008:
FREIGHTLINERS FARM, Islington
THE DEPTFORD ARMS, London: installation