9 September 2015, Bethany Walker - "Breaking the Mould"

Last night was the first branch meeting for the 2015/16 programme and what a great start to the new year. The meeting was really well attended. Some of our branch have been members for many years so there was a lot of meeting and greeting long-time friends but there were also many visitors and new members so there was a buzz of excitement of meeting new friends.

There was also a lot of business to get through at the beginning of the meeting – Oxford Branch has a lot to look forward to over the next few months – but Karen got through it all in reasonable time so we could sit back and enjoy our speaker for the evening.

Bethany Walker is an exciting emerging Mixed Media Artist best known for her ‘signature’ combination of materials – cement and textiles - unique and surprising mix so Bethany began by telling us how it came about.

© Bethany Walker

Bethany told us about how she had enjoyed ‘making’ from an early age and that, although she enjoyed art at school, she was not confident about drawing and painting. We heard how working as an intern for mixed media artist Laura McCafferty convinced her to take the advice of her art teacher to take an art foundation course before going to University.

Early work based on road markings
© Bethany Walker

In the third year Bethany at De Montfort University, found inspiration for her degree show in the urban environment of her walking route to and from campus. On her website, Bethany describes it thus :

“A derelict building with its windows smashed and exposed brickwork covered with graffiti; a weathered billboard, its latest poster peeling revealing the one below; rusty railings which look as though tiny volcanoes have erupted all over it tarnishing it with burn marks.”

© Bethany Walker

© Bethany Walker

For her degree show Bethany focused on the streets and pavements - the contrast of colour between the dull tarmac and the bright flashes of road markings. While essentially happy with her first piece of work – screen printing and mark-making on canvas - Bethany felt that it was lacking something. A fellow student suggested, “Why don’t you dip it in cement?”. The throw away comment was intended as a joke but Bethany recognised that this radical contrast of texture was exactly what she was aiming for. She did exactly that and was pleased with the outcome. After that Bethany devised her own methods for combining textiles with the cement mix resulting in captivating and intriguing pieces.

Following her degree show Bethany was invited to take part in the New Designers Exhibition, where she made her first sale, then spent a year as artist in residence at De Montfort University.

Interlace
© Ruth Singer & Bethany Walker

Interlace
© Ruth Singer & Bethany Walker

Last year Bethany was invited by textile artist, Ruth Singer, to work in collaboration with her, resulting in Interlace – a colourful and surprising installations formed of concrete bowls set with delicate textiles. Since their first exhibition at Bilston Craft Gallery, Ruth and Bethany continue to work and exhibit together.

New samples exploring rust
© Bethany Walker

Meanwhile Bethany continues to work on her own collections and has begun exploring and developing ideas based upon rust.