Re:Connecting - Habitats, Wildlife, People is an exhibition of work by ceramicist Bridget Macklin and photographer Alex Potts, delivered in partnership with Binsted Parish Council, The Friends of Blacknest Fields and Alton Natural History Society.
Nature is infinitely varied, essential to our own survival and brings joy. But our wildlife is in steep decline. Vast areas of natural habitat have been destroyed, the vital connections between sites and species severed, and our own lives divorced from nature. We can and must act to reverse these trends, since we break the connections at our peril.
This exhibition of specially commissioned ceramics and photography celebrates the restoration of a local site for nature and demonstrates the power and joy of community action in reconnecting habitats, wildlife and people. We hope it will inspire others to act, by showing that declines in biodiversity can be reversed when enthusiastic volunteers collaborate with experts, bringing benefits to wildlife and people.
A programme of events for local schools and the public, run in association with The Friends of Blacknest Fields and Alton Natural History Society, will amplify the exhibition’s messages within the wider community.
For more information on planned activities at the Allen Gallery please visit:
marvellous-moths-and-minibeasts
For wider events and activities, please visit:
Blacknest Fields Project
https://www.facebook.com/groups/491868806032065
Alton Natural History Society
https://www.facebook.com/groups/altonnaturalhistorysoc
About the artists:
Bridget Macklin is an established ceramicist based in Cornwall, whose work has been exhibited in London and across the south-west.
Bridget’s work explores her fascination with landscape. She believes that art can raise awareness and that, by enabling a positive experience, artists may facilitate change: Art sanctioning discussion without apportioning blame.
Working with porcelain, she combines slip casting and lithographic printing to create ceramics which push fragility to the boundaries of the possible. Work is high fired to bring out the lustrous, translucent nature of the porcelain emphasising the metaphors of fragility, beauty and value. Hand building enables the forging of intimate relationships with material.
For Re-connecting, clay from Blacknest Fields was mixed with porcelain to create work with a sense of place. Collaborating with Alex Potts, who generously shared her images, was an honour. These images, which were used for lithographs and prints can be seen on several vessels.
Alex Potts is a wildlife photographer who finds inspiration in the beauty, diversity and resilience of the natural world.
Using a variety of lenses, she incorporates natural light as it changes throughout the day with interesting background colours to add depth and atmosphere to her images.
Through her photography, Alex has gained a deeper understanding of the environment and the difficulties it faces as our climate changes and is particularly drawn to how wildlife can blend in and adapt to its often-changing habitat.
She hopes her images contribute to increased awareness of the challenges confronting our local wildlife and the efforts being made to rejuvenate and safeguard declining habitats, so that we may all connect with and appreciate the nature that surrounds us.
Being part of the Blacknest Fields project and seeing the hard work and dedication shown by all involved with the site to make it a better place for many species has been inspirational.
Alex has thoroughly enjoyed working with Bridget for this exhibition and is excited to see some of the diverse wildlife from Blacknest depicted on her beautiful ceramics.
