I was so pleased that while indulging in my Twitter addiction, I came across something that was really exciting to rediscover.
The work of Swansea based artist, Laura Reeves. Originally seeing her work in 2012 during her solo show-“The Students of Mr D. Brook. This in turn has lead me to writing about what she’s been up to since.
Her work has a a strong grounding within the foundations of the archive. Often combining with her own written text and found imagery, all of which adds to a coherent discussion. Imagery used, is largely purchased by the artist in her local charity shops (Seen series “Richard and Beryl Grunwell”) or are in fact personal in their format (see works such as “Dad’s Bicycle and “A photograph taken by my sister, of me looking at a photograph of my sister and me”). All of which consist of layers of enquiry and dialogue into history and memory. Keen on not pinning her practice solely on a fascination in trinkets and relics of the analogue, Reeves has ambition to delve deeper than the objects alone…
Reeves’ latest works are now largely research based, having recently been part of a library based residency in Cardiff. Reeves is constantly building upon and drawing from a large pool of resources that she has gathered and is ready to dip into…The work is now less about found photography. Evolving to become all the more emotive, unearthing stories and using fragments in order to create a re-construction from a new perspective.
The work is beautiful, considered and has the ability to revive material that has been previously drained, making a rich new landscape for the objects in her possession. Reeves has found a unique way to understand them. The loss of their “actual” history and the creation that has been tailor made makes the artists revival all the more potent. Without which the latter (actual history) would be lost to any consciousness at all, rendering Reeves adaptation all the more valid than reality.
Reeves will be beginning a residency at Standpoint Gallery in London (as part of their Standpoint Futures Residency Program) towards the end of this month, so stay posted on what’s next for Laura Reeves…
@Laura_Reeves
See her website HERE
Find out more about Standpoint Gallery HERE