Frances Gynn

The majority of my work to date has been about something I refer to as 'Beach Conversations’.

Walking along the coast where I live, the sea washes up a collection of images; a reflection of my thoughts, my mood, a physical presence. In this series of paintings and drawings, I respond to the transformation of quotidian flotsam on the tideline. The softening and etching of surfaces wrought by sea and shore on manufactured objects embodies a dynamic dialogue between man and nature, drawing out and on usability of 'waste' in the natural environment: discarded, reclaimed, colonised by nature to be washed up, reclaimed and transformed again.

Process is an important part of my work, echoing the characteristics of my subject. With some I layer diluted oil paint and beach tar, use paint resists, rub away paint with sandpaper to mimic the sea's wearing away of objects and take paint castings of found objects which I incorporate into my paintings.

My most recent work for Hallsands Revisited was a collaborative with two musicians to commemorate the 2017 Centenary year of the taking of the fishing village by the sea with human intervention of dredging the sea bed being partially responsible. In this site specific work, a marquee on the cliff top of the ruined village was the venue for the collaborative performance and an exhibition of 24 paintings and drawings.

Picking up ‘ghost nets’ - derelict fishing gear that has been lost, dumped or abandoned, from the shore is a big environmental concern. Using the net lines as a roaming eye, I observe and selectively record, describing characteristics of both seawater and rock formation.

I am currently beginning a new 'Beach Conversation’ focusing on the pressing issue of plastic pollution and the effects of toxic plastic particles on our health and environment

Website: www.frangynn.com