Hereford College of Arts   2009/2010

Rebecca Spooner

Rebecca Spooner’s rich installations combine film, photography, projection and found objects. Her work explores the romanticism of nature, the symbolism of animals and the landscape, and their ability to convey unconscious desires and sensual metaphors.

During her time at HCA Rebecca has produced a collection of Polaroids and slides inspired by the Welsh landscape and inherent themes of borders and thresholds.

On a cold day in January, Rebecca met with three friends at Llanthony Priory and recorded the group as they walked and talked, following the pass to Capel-Y-Ffin. The female characters in these images exert a particular influence over the landscape. The women express a raw, creative energy and appear as custodians of light in a dark place.

For Rebecca, AA2A offered a period of experimentation and study. She spent time in the college library absorbing broad influences, from the lyrical landscapes of Paul Nash, Polaroids by Andrei Tarkovsky and the dark, pastoral vision of the reclusive nineteenth century artist, William Hyde.

Rebecca sees this research and new collection of work as the basis of a wider project to develop her artistic themes and relationships.

With thanks to Ginny, Morag and Lucy.