15/06/10 - Common Threads Press Release and examples of work

Common Threads exhibition
Printed textiles, illustrations and photography

“Tongues in trees, sermons in stones and good in everything”
William Shakespeare

3.7.10 – 4.9.10
MOMA Wales
Machynlleth
Mon – Sat 10am – 4pm

Caitlin Shepherd studied Art and Design foundation at Falmouth College of Art (2002 – 2003) and continued onto study BA Graphic Design at Camberwell College of Art, London University of the Arts (2003 – 2006) where she specialized in exploring graphic design as an arena for evocative and emotive visual communication methods. An interest in narrative and experiential design informed Caitlin’s studies as she developed an interest in illustrating allegorical mythologies through the medium of printed textiles.

Since graduating Caitlin has worked on commission and received funding for various national printed textile projects, all of which have explored landscape and individuals and communities sense of place, or genus loci. She has also worked as a designer on the MA Creative Practice for Narrative Environment at Central Saint Martins School of Art and Design, the social gaming festival Hide and Seek, and set up a sustainable events collective known as Antic Establishment.

Caitlin now focuses on the importance of human relationships with eco systems and the natural environment. Such concepts are communicated through delicately drawn and complex patterns; something she has coined “Information Decoration.” Exploring the human need for inter connection and relationships beyond the human realm, Common Threads uses the medium of printed textiles to examine the emotional and psychological value found in the natural world. The new work sets out to explore ideas of cultural appreciation of human relationships with plant cultivation, wilderness, wildlife and the natural world. Common Threads illustrates ancient Celtic narrative and mythology to explore existing characters and symbols that point towards a historical and still present appreciation of the wild world, the natural world.

As well as a practicing artist, Caitlin is an environmental campaigner in the area of food sustainability and security. As co founder of anti food waste campaign This is Rubbish she is interested in exploring the role of the arts as a medium in which to convey information and alternative low impact lifestyle scenarios. “By celebrating the beauty, nourishment and intelligence found in the natural world and self sustaining ecosystems, maybe a renewed reverence can be born, that inherently commands the individual to preserve and nourish the well being of their natural environment. After all, we don’t tend to ruin those people and things that we love.”

Common Threads also examines the environmental impact of the printed textile industry, and after this project, Caitlin is pursuing funding to research alternative and less polluting and energy intensive methods of print production. Common Threads has been funded by the Arts Council of Wales, All works on display at MOMA Cymru are for sale.