Maria Maw

Environmental Arts Teaching at St Cuthbert's in St Helen's

2010-01-20T05:42:00.000-08:00

During the summer of 2009 I was commissioned by St Helen's Youth Service to design a 6 lesson arts curriculum for a Global Citizenship programme being run in the area. To fulfill the criteria for the programme it was decided to focus on environmental sustainability as this crossed all barriers of age, gender, class, ability and race, and to use art as a medium, it being accessible to all, responds to emotional rather than purely intellectual input and promotes creative thinking. The 6 lessons followed a highly structured plan designed to be re-produced by the young people in a follow-up course of peer education. The curriculum required the young people to consider why they personally would be motivated to save the planet before starting on the creative projects - designing a mood board, using waste materials to create something new - then evaluating what they had created, what they had learned and where their personal interests now lay before searching the internet for voluntary work / environmental organisations etc that they could become involved in. The curriculum also includes activities for team building and peer leadership training.
The images above are some examples of the work produced by the first group of students to undergo the training. Their work was collated in personal files and certificates awarded on completion. Some of the young people self-selected to continue the programme as an after-school club teaching year 6 children. It is expected that their participation in this follow-up training will be validated as part a Duke of Edinburgh award.
Some of the young people may also become involved in environmental conferences for young people; last year some participants from a youth club group that I trained took part in an international youth conference in Germany.
I have presented the training as a booklet with step-by-step instructions for six one-hour lessons.

Waste Materials become Textile Art

2009-09-23T14:34:00.001-07:00

Plastic 'fabric' is created from waste packaging, and hand-stitched with contrasting embroidery threads, odd buttons and bits of fishing ropes washed up on seashores.

Commissions taken, sizes vary, these are 50cm x 50cm.

The above pieces have all been sold to QSP, a company offering health and safety training to the Recycling and Waste Management sector.

Waste Materials become Textile Art 2

2009-09-23T14:29:00.000-07:00

A Folly at the NEC

2009-09-23T10:20:00.000-07:00

'A Folly' at the NEC Recycling and Waste Management international exhibition, September 15-18. I was invited by 'Jarshire' who specialise in decentralising waste management, selling and renting baling units to institutions and small communities, thereby reducing transport of waste and providing a local income. The sculpture attracted a lot of people to the stand and both Jarshire and myself benefitted from the interest. QSP, a company offering health and safety training in the waste management sector, bought all the art I had brought to sell to display in their training centre.

The MOD have since requested I bring 'A Folly' to their recycling training course in Taunton. This is currently being considered as taking it to Birmingham required a lot of fuel, somewhat contradictory for a 'green' exhibit. I am suggesting that I create something on site from the course's own waste. This could still involve bottles and I could take smaller frames by train to assemble in situ.

East Cheshire Hospice, who host a profitable, annual Art Exhibition of local artists in Macclesfield Town Hall, have asked if I would like to exhibit a large sculpture of waste materials, suitable for sale, in October 2010.

Jodrell Bank Art Show 5.7.09

2009-07-06T04:03:00.000-07:00

First exhibition of framed work. Sold 'Red Rain' (bottom left) £150. Other prices vary from £75 to £165. Commissions taken. Aim to post better quality images of work ASAP.
Remaining three large pictures sold during the summer.

The Wall 2009

2009-07-06T03:56:00.001-07:00

Prior to arranging 'A Folly' (see below). Nearly 2,000 plastic bottles packed into wooden frames, 7' high by 10' wide.

Recycled Fashion Workshops - Training Youth Workers 2009

2009-07-03T06:11:00.000-07:00

To engage young people in the Global Citizenship iniative, St Helen's youth services have employed me to deliver training in Environmental Arts to youth workers which they can then use in their youth clubs. Creativity is an important skill to foster in young people in order to stimulate creative thinking and the environment is an issue that involves everyone regardless of gender, class, ability or race.

Recycled Fashion Workshops - Working With Youth Workers and Young People

2009-07-03T06:01:00.000-07:00

After two days training with the youth workers we took the training to a group of young people. The aim is to engage these young people through their creative interests in their local community, peer training, a national youth conference at the end of the year and ultimately ensuring their involvement in the democratic process. This work is ongoing through 2009 and involves producing a training programme based on training trainers.

Macclesfield College End of Year Art Show 2009

2009-07-03T05:40:00.000-07:00

Interpreting an aspect of the modern human condition 'A Folly' was constructed from plastic drink bottles set within a 7' tall hexagonal wooden framework. The bottles were rescued from landfill and collected in especially designed bins over a 2 month period in Macclesfield College. Following the success of the collection system the college planned to introduce recycling facilities for bottles and cans.
'Follicles' exhibited with 'A Folly' also represents an aspect of the modern human condition. It consists of almost 400 ceramic pinch pots laid out on a bed of sand. The natural rough texture of the clay is preserved with only the internal surface glazed in a variey of shades of blue and green, sometimes irridescent like the pearlised lining of mussel shells. Spread out on the floor the pots lie in waves of colour reminiscent of the surface of the sea. 'A Folly' and 'Follicles', although not directly connected within the modern human condition, have structural similarities; they are both formed from repetitive circular units arranged in waves of colour.

A Folly

2009-07-03T05:30:00.000-07:00

Nearly 2,000 plastic drinks bottles are used as infill in a reclaimed

wooden frame.

The term 'folly' has two meanings; a small building constructed to be a summer house for wealthy landowners and a thoughtless act. The sculpture is shaped as a small building and being made of plastic bottles rescued from landfill reflects the folly of Macclesfield College in not recycling the plastic bottles bought and consumed on site.

Follicles

2009-07-03T05:16:00.000-07:00

Nearly 400 ceramic pinch pots glazed in coastal shades. The piece is a reflection on and commemoration to the reproductive phase of my life, each pot representing the follicle remaining after ovulation.

Eco-Art Workshops 2008

2009-07-02T13:00:00.000-07:00

From training a group of young people who were preparing to go to Romania to teach junk art to children, to running holiday workshops for other young people with some learning challenges my creative teaching work focuses on using 'rubbish' to create beautiful and often functional pieces of art. Techniques range from junk models, to plastic fabric, decorative tiles, stained glass and re-styling old clothes.

Sub-Ocean 2009

2009-07-02T12:07:00.000-07:00

Double glazing unit rescued from skip, screen printed with image of dune grasses created using Photoshop. Flotsam and jetsam sandwiched between the layers of glass. The final effect could either represent the plastic rubbish ribboning the high tide line or the plastic that is suspended in our seas.

Window 2009

2009-07-02T11:27:00.000-07:00

Secondary glazing units rescued from landfill, screen printed with images of wild coastal plants manipulated with Photoshop. Simple and restful to look at but 'Window' aims to demonstrate how nature is often viewed through glass, be that windows, car windscreens, camera viewfinders or the TV.

Urban Fashion Created from Waste - 1

2009-07-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

Fun fashion items demonstrate simple creative techniques for utilising non-recyclable rubbish. Stylish eco-art. (2008)

Urban Fashion from Waste - 2

2009-07-02T11:12:00.001-07:00

Plastic fabric created by 'ironing' (fusing) colourful plastic food packaging. The panels are stitched together, the front panel heavily embroidered.

Urban Fashion Created from Waste - 3

2009-07-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

'Ascot' style hat made from junk materials. The paper is made from non-recyclable 'window' envelopes, the veil from a form of stiff plastic packaging, both screen printed with images of the Millenium Wheel in Manchester. The crown is also stitched.

Beach Rope Weaving 2008

2009-07-02T10:31:00.000-07:00

This weaving is made entirely from objects found washed up on the Pembrokeshire coastline.

The Underwater Tent 2008

2009-07-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

The 'Tent' fabric was plastic, made by fusing mostly translucent food packaging within sheets of clear plastic wrappings. A 'reef' was made from paper pulp (business envelopes). The 'Tent' contained plastic flotsam and jetsam salvaged from a Scottish beach, fishing boat ropes being stitched onto the inside. Viewers were invited to enter and experience the coloured light filtering through, the muffled sounds of the surroundings, the very distinctive smell (!) and then write their comments on the outside of the tent. The responses varied from 'wishing they were there on the beach' to horror at the state of our oceans.

Detail of 'A Folly'

2009-06-03T05:51:00.000-07:00

Plastic bottles viewed end on, image distorted using photoshop triangular wave filter.