I’m going to try and write you an email – let me know if you get it.

Jennifer x

Regards

Claire Elliott

The images here of your work give it a genuine and striking physical – at times carnal – presence. The minute I first went through the post I could feel it changing the way I’d thought about the work I’d seen so far – including some of the images in the previous post – which were surprising enough + pretty exciting.

I aim to comment more fully on my blog but I think that’s actually going to take a couple of days – there’s a lot to tackle here.

That moth is incredible – I take it that’s a genuine live moth? What sort of size? Scale’s pretty tough to judge in some of these photos but I think that’s a strength of the work. And given the disorientation of what’s natural, what’s manufactured, what’s the art, what’s edible + what isn’t, what some of the forms actually are it fits in perfectly with the experience.

A lot of the pieces do seem to have a genuine physical heft to them, like detached limbs, outsize vegetables. That’s emphasised by the heavy chains. But then the colours, the details that look like sweets or cake decoration and the knitwear kind of undercut that. They also bring a humanity and a humour to the work. At the same time also looking weirdly sexual or like condoms.

There’s a lot lot more to say – I’ve barely even started. It’s tremendous work. It’s also impressive that you’ve walked away from it because you say it’s not the kind of work you want to be doing. To put that amount of effort in under very trying circumstances without support, to finish that amount of work, and then to be able to destroy it + leave it behind is a real testament to your strength.

I hope the rest of your time in India is amazing + that it’s not too disappointing coming back to the UK. Have a great time + good luck, you deserve it.

Matt xxx