‘Unearthing Chase and Chalke’
January – June 2022
Sara Dudman’s artwork explores our shifting relationships with the environment.
Click the link below to view Sara’s final outcomes for the Unearthing Chase and Chalke Artist Residency project.
The ‘Unearthing Chase and Chalke’ project aims to explore Cranborne Chase through its geology and earth colours. As well as making her own new body of work, Sara will be works with communities to create collaborative paintings and drawings that use carefully selected natural earth pigments foraged from the landscape. The rocks, soil and chalk are collected and transformed into earth-pigment paint. The artworks will be compiled together to create ‘tapestry-style’ visual stories of Cranborne Chase’s natural environment, geology and history.
The below video was kindly made by film maker Hannah Earl.
During this project, Sara embarked on her own walking journey which she describes as a ‘Sporadic Nomadic Residency’ – she followed historic routes and pathways that criss-cross the landscape, collecting carefully chosen pigment samples to produce artworks that re-interpret her experience of the landscape; referencing trees, geology, nature, history, pathways, ancient settlements and land erosion.
Sara invited members of he community to join her on the ‘Sporadic Nomadic’ walking journey. People participated in the mapping of Cranborne Chase through its geology and made locally produced earth-pigment paints. They will reflect their experiences of the landscape through their own artworks and writing, as well as collaborating with each other to make artworks that tell the stories of Cranborne Chase. People will be invited to participate both in on-site workshops led by Sara, and also at home via digital participation on social media.
‘Unearthing’ seeks to build relationships between people, places and art by inviting people to explore the earth beneath their feet. Through the medium of earth-painting, the project will act as a catalyst for learning about local geology, ecology, archaeology and history of Cranborne Chase.
Sara Dudman RWA has extensive experience of leading participatory projects and events across the South West of England, and we are delighted to have engaged her for our first Chase & Chalke Artist Residency. For more information about her work and previous projects, visit www.saradudman.com.
To follow Sara’s journey you can connect with her via social media:
Instagram: @SaraDudman1
Facebook: @SaraDudman1