Lucy Orta

At Plymouth Arts Centre and
Plymouth College of Art

16 September – 8 November 2009

Plymouth Arts Centre and Plymouth College of Art are collaborating on an exhibition and series of events with the international artist Lucy Orta. Focusing on the elements of craft and design, the gallery spaces will be dedicated to experiencing this seminal artist’s work.

Lucy Orta’s work examines the social bonds within communities and the relationships between individuals and their environments. The exhibition brings together sculptures, videos, objects, drawings and photographs created by Orta over the last ten years for a diverse range of collaborative projects, performances, installations and social interventions held in cities around the world.

Lucy Orta draws inspiration from a variety of disciplines including fashion, architecture, design philosophy, social activism and traditional art practice. Early works in the exhibition include Refuge Wear and Body Architecture featuring portable architecture; tents that become overcoats; backpacks that transform into sleeping bags; and prototype structures – light and autonomous for emergency situations. Orta’s work is often a critical response to some of the most sensitive areas of society

Plymouth College of Art and Plymouth Arts Centre are collaborating with Groundwork to commission the artist Anne Marie-Culhane to develop a harvest feast with communities in Plymouth, inspired by the meals created by Lucy and Jorge Orta.

Lucy Orta is Professor of Art Fashion and the Environment at London College of Fashion. She has exhibited her work in major contemporary art museums around the world including: Hangar Biccoca Milano; Barbican Art Gallery London; Modern Art Museum Paris; as well as the Venice, Havana and Johannesburg Biennials.

This exhibition has been organised as part of a major conference Making Futures: the Crafts in the Context of Emerging Global Sustainability Agendas at Plymouth College of Art 17 – 18 September www.plymouthart.ac.uk and All Our Futures 2, hosted by the Centre for Sustainable Futures at the University of Plymouth 15 – 17 September, http://csf.plymouth.ac.uk/allourfutures/

For press enquiries contact Hannah Prothero, Marketing and Communications Manager, Plymouth Arts Centre, phone: 01752 276993, email: hannah@plymouthartscentre.org