Helena Rose

My work focuses on identity, human emotion and her own personal family history. I gain inspiration by learning from other artist’s such as Ruth Rae, Michelle Caplan and Sally Mankus. I am also inspired by philosophical ideas, art therapy and literature by writers & poets such as James Joyce and Sylvia Plath.

I work & experiment with numerous techinques that include collage, sculpture, fibre art, photography, installation and ‘found’ or ‘ready made’ art. I have spent a project exploring my own family history provoking thoughts and memories through collage, photography and mixed media pieces. My work often deals with difficult subject matter such as death, oppression, gender roles and family but my art practice allows her to explore and examine these different issues and look at them in closer detail.

I has developed many different skills during the duration of my first year at Salford University and Foundation Year at Liverpool Community College such as image transferring using image maker, emulsion paint, and contact paper, papermaking, altering books by melting, burning, staining and distressing surfaces. I have also experimented with manipulating photographs both digitally and by hand and enjoy printing on different surfaces such as vellum, vintage paper, handmade paper, acetate, mulberry paper, baking paper, metal, glass and wood. I like to explore and play with the different translucency of paper to create interesting collages and mixed media pieces.

I am involved with a number of projects outside University. I am a cultural ambassador for the Art & Literature Magazine, ‘Aesthetica’ and I am also one of the Project Facillitators for the ‘Me and My Movie’ Project, organized by the BBC which encourages creativity and film making skills to young children. I have also contributed work to the Cynic Online Magazine and attend workshops and exhibitions in my local area.

In June 2010, I will be travelling to Riga, Latvia to be part of the Creative Future Enterprises Boot Camp which will involve me producing and giving presentations on how to regenerate the Art and urban area in Riga and will also be representing Salford & Manchester by giving a presentation on the area and the University to a group of people from 6 different countries.

http://helena-rose.com/artists-statement/