Josephine Birch, ‘Rest’

ARTIST STATEMENT:

The sensitivity of the marks made through monotype give a gentle softness to these works, speaking of domestic life and of the weight of English winter, pressing on, pressing in on us. Spaces inhabited by her partner, her mother, herself are explored with tenderness and simplicity. The monotypes are based on memories and sketches; the monotype process allows for imagination to combine with the observed.

Working primarily on location, Josephine responds to the world directly around her, allowing memory to feed into the process. Works begun outdoors are completed in situ, sometimes using sheets of paper taped together, she can fold up parts of the drawing and work on smaller sections. This allows her to work through wind and rain, in tough locations.

The works are both a direct response to the natural world and an inwardly reflective process. By allowing the changing weather and uncontrollable factors of drawing outdoors to influence the work, images take on the character and sense of place.

BIOGRAPHY:

Josephine Birch graduated with a first class B.A. in Illustration and a postgraduate scholarship from The Royal Drawing School, after which she achieved a first class M.A. in Children’s Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art. She works as Studio Co-ordinator teaching Fine Print at Arts University Plymouth.