I was bought up on a farm in rural Somerset, had a carefree childhood surrounded by nature, and have always been drawn to the sea and wild places. After retirement from the NHS, I studied art, initially Fine Art at Exeter College and then a BA course in Painting, Drawing and Printmaking at Plymouth College of Art.
My passion remains with the environment, often inspired by found objects, such as the fish skeletons I came across on the beach years ago, which lead to research about the demise of fish stocks from overfishing, climate change and pollution. Recent work questions our relationship with plastic, particularly plastic packaging, and I developed a performance in which I am buried in plastic containers, dressed in a fish costume made from plastic packaging, to the sounds of whales calling. Whilst at Plymouth College of Art I produced a short film Unnatural Tides on the same theme. This can be found on Vimeo.
I aim to connect with viewers emotionally, to raise questions about our relationship with plastic and the environment, and hope to change our ingrained habits for a sustainable future.
I am a member of Rhizome Artists’ Collective in Plymouth. There are 10 talented artists exhibiting at one venue: Studio 11, HQ Building, Union Street (next to Lidl), PL1 3HQ.
Please be aware that the annual Union Street Party 2021 is on Sunday 12th Sept from 12pm, and much of the road will be closed to traffic. There will be lots of visitors, live music and a carnival atmosphere, with many community groups involved. It should not put people off visiting us, in fact it should create a double incentive to discover Union Street! However it would be best to park closer to the city centre and walk down to HQ.
Judy Harington
Environmental Artist
judyharington.com
Find Judy at venue 179 in Plymouth.
