HELEN SCHELL
Space Travel Protective Eyewear, 2010
The Dazzle Dress Hi Vis Safety Jackets, 2012
Moon Rocket Painting, 10.5m, 2012
ARTIST STATEMENT
Escape Velocity – Is anybody out there?
I make work inspired by rocketry, time travel and the extraordinary features of the Universe. Through mixed media art installations and large paintings, I produce work using astrophysics, and collaborate with scientists, primarily from Durham University. These artworks are physical objects shown in transformed spaces as site specific exhibitions, preferably in non-gallery venues. This line of work started in 2007 and lead me into an exciting environment where science and art thrive together.
In 2010, I was artist in residence at Durham University’s Ogden Centre for Fundamental Physics. Whilst there, I created the components for a Space-Time Laboratory. These were pseudo objects inspired by real science for invented journeys across space. They included space souvenirs, and The Kathedra – Space-Time Throne. Here, I met brilliant scientists, Space Shuttle astronauts, and visited the UK Dark Matter Laboratory.
This work continues and I have created 3 x 10 metre high rocket drawings, and The 11th Dimension, an installation made up of 11,000 glass lenses, which has been shown in Durham Cathedral and NewBridge Project Open Studios .
Over the last year, I have focussed on the Moon, which has become the target of space exploration again, and now there are plans to colonise it. This project started last Summer on an art residency at Meltdowns, where I set up a Lunar Laboratory – First Artist, First Woman on The Moon. This included research, communication and creating artworks. Whilst there, I attended Kent University’s Space School and ran a Lunar Habitat workshop for children, and I ironically got to hold real Moon-rock whilst creating fake Moon-rock!
Since then, I have developed the Lunar theme by creating a new Moon Rocket painting, again 10m high, inspired by the Apollo/Saturn rocket. As a STEM ambassador, I run a series of workshops for children entitled ‘Colonise the Moon‘ for a generation who may well witness this event, and also Smart Materials costume workshops.
This project lead to me becoming ‘Maker in Residence’ at The Centre for Life in Newcastle, where invented the ‘Make It to the Moon‘ project with interactive workshops, sets and the creation of a 6m high cardboard Apollo/Saturn rocket.
In 2012, I collaborated with Durham University’s NETPark on Undress:Redress, a Smart Materials costume residency and exhibition, designing and making UN-Dress, The Rocket Dress and The Dazzle Dress, 3 flamboyant ball gowns. 2 of the dresses are dissolvable are to be filmed whilst they disintegrate in water. I am now working on a new ‘Colonise the Moon‘ project for the Institute of Physics and Celebrate Science Festival in Durham.