Friday 16 – Sunday 18 February, FREE

Moving Fabric Sculpture is the outcome of a research based project by artist Elaine Foster-Gandey, currently studying on the MA Inclusive Arts Practice course at The University of Brighton.

Working with participants from the ‘Rocket Artist’ group – Louella, James and Rainna – alongside students from the BA Fine Art course at the University of Brighton – Alice, Ana, Katherine and Jill – and volunteers from the MA Inclusive Arts Practice course Beccie, Belinda and Holli, Elaine ran workshops over ten weeks at Phoenix Brighton exploring her research question, ‘How can learning disabled and non-learning disabled participants perform together in a sculpture that can be worn?’. Elaine explored with movement and experimented with garments that could be adapted to allow the wearer choice of who they wanted to be connected to and how they wanted to move within the larger group.

The work involved investigating different art-based techniques using a variety of mediums including textiles, paint, chalk, pen, print, sugar dough, movement and sound. The documented findings from this research will be exhibited in this exhibition.

Launch Event // Friday, 3 – 8pm

Exhibition Open // Saturday 12 – 6pm, Sunday 12 – 4pm

Elaine Foster-Gandey is a local artist whose work takes on a number of different forms from performance/events, installations and textiles to sculpture, painting and print. Whilst working across a range of media and processes, Elaine has maintained a focus on her principal inquiry into an exploration of how the individual’s interior life is made externally manifest. Her many years of professional involvement with the fashion industry combine with her interest in masks and costume to provide a rich visual resource that informs all her practice. Elaine’s longstanding interest in identity and gender issues provides much of the work’s theoretical underpinning. Elaine worked for many years pioneering catwalk events at her fashion sales in London where she challenged the norms in the fashion business by showing people of different size, age, ethnicity, gender, and physical ability on the catwalks. This culminated in a groundbreaking show at the ICA along with a debate that sparked media attention looking at these issues.

As well as making work for projects and private work, Elaine also teaches for Acres adult education on the partnership courses working with: Sussex Oakleaf who provide a range of support services for people with mental health needs; ViewCraft who provide a craft group for blind and partially sighted people; SCDA who support residents to develop neighbourhoods, improve facilities and build community resilience.

Further enquiries please contact Elaine Foster-Gandey // 07813 986999