'Power Provoked' degree show installation 2023, size variable. Steel, chain, steel rods, yarn, wool, resin.
Skills & Experience
- Higher National Diploma in Contemporary Arts
- Exhibited 'External Touch' as part of 'Introspective' exhibition with Young Edinburgh Artists, 2023.
- 'Target Practice' exhibited in 'Hint of Salón' at the embassy gallery 2023.
- Involved in curating, exhibiting and invigilating at the exhibition 'Umbra', Whitespace Gallery. My works 'It's a Secret' and 'Refracted' were exhibited.
- 'Humans Connection with Nature', 'Pickled Anatomy' and 'Micro-plastic Future' exhibited in 'Into Dark' Salt Space, Glasgow 2022.
- Worked with GSA widening participation during Glasgow International 2018 as part of the leading group, working alongside artist Mick Peter.
Bio
Kirsten McNairn is a contemporary artist working within the field of sculpture. In her recent practice she has predominantly been investigating the human body and the physical properties of materials.
She explores aspects of the human body in an anatomical sense, while also totally stripping back and investigating it in a minimal abstract manner, exploring themes of touch, internal and external, and concealment through use of material, composition, and negative space.
Leading from the exploration of contrasting materials, (soft against harsh and natural against man-made), her recent works have been focused on the juxtaposition of the strength of materials. This includes finding ways of provoking material strength by making strong, hard materials look soft, and soft materials look structured and hard.
'Power Provoked', 2023.
'Power Provoked' is an installation exhibited in the degree show 2023. The work consists of three metal cuboid structures distorted to create a melting effect. The works each contain materials with varied strengths which are displayed to contradict the materiality of them and juxtapose the power of the materials, provoking the strength by making the strong, hard materials look soft, and the soft materials look structured and hard.
'Power Provoked', 2023. Degree show installation, size variable. Materials used include steel, steel rods, chain, yarn, wool and resin.
Geometric shaped yarn within degree show installation 'Power Provoked'. Steel, yarn, resin, chain.
Details of a component of 'Power Provoked'. Wool, steel, steel rods, chain.
Component of 'Power Provoked', yarn and resin geometrically shaped.
'It's a Secret', 2023.
Plaster casted hands, wood, steel, Lightbulb, light, tea stain.
40 x 40 x 120cm
'It's a Secret' explores the idea of concealment, reflecting how well secrets are kept and how easily they are passed from person to person. How secret is a secret? The work simultaneously depicts the physical feeling of touch and how the body may react. The use of red light captures this feeling by spreading across the palms of the hands, highlighting the body part we use most in the action of touch and mimicking this feeling.
'It's a Secret', 2023. Plaster casts, wood, metal, lightbulb, light, tea stain.
'It's a Secret', 2023. Installed in Whitespace Gallery as part of 'Umbra'.
'It's a Secret', 2023. Installed in Whitespace Gallery as part of 'Umbra'.
Close up of 'It's a Secret', 2023.
'It's a Secret', 2023.
'Refracted', 2023.
170 x 80cm
Wood, nails, string, tea stain.
'Refracted' investigates ways of exploring the human body in the simplest form, totally stripping back from details. The universal figure was used to create a feeling of anonymity and delves into generating the inkling of human presence. The materials were used with the intention of using natural materials against man-made, and harsh against subtle, creating a juxtaposition of strength. The three-dimensional aspect of the nails allows the work to project shadows across the work, filling the negative space.
'Refracted', 2023. Installed in Whitespace gallery as part of 'Umbra'.
Torso component of 'Refracted', 2023.
'Refracted', 2023.
Legs component of 'Refracted', 2023.
'Internal Touch', 2022.
Size variable
Steel rods, red fabric.
‘Internal Touch’ explores the notion of touch while exhibiting themes of internal and external, and contrasting material. Due to the negative space within the steel torso, and the combination of the fabric draped over, an internal structure is created which you can stand underneath, almost being within the piece. When examining the sculpture, you realise that the internal aspects of the work are still visible due to the use of sheer fabric, exploring ironic concealment. The use of the steel and fabric together creates a divergence in strength.
'Internal Touch', 2022. Exhibited in 'Escalate' exhibition 2023. Steel rods, red fabric. Represents human presence and absence through the use of internal and external.
Zoomed in shot of 'Internal Touch', installed in Escalate exhibition 2023.
Soft fabric against hard steel in 'Internal Touch'.
Close up of shaped steel hand in 'Internal Touch'.
Details of internal structure of 'Internal Touch'.
Close up of 'Internal Touch', 2023.
'Internal Touch' installed using light to project the shape onto the wall, insinuating more than one human presence.
'External Touch', 2022.
Life size, size variable in compositions.
Glass wax, wire, plaster, moss.
'External Touch' explores anatomical aspects within the human body while highlighting details outside the body like fingerprints and palm lines. This work aims to tell the story of what happens inside your body while using the sensation of touch, exhibiting the internal and external factors of the human body.
'External Touch', 2022.
'External Touch', 2022. Glass wax, wire, plaster, moss.
Plaster, moss, 2022.
Plaster, moss, 2022.
Glass wax, wire, 2022.
Glass wax, wire, 2022.
Hand cast using glass wax and wire, 2022.
Glass wax and wire, 2022.
Component of 'External Touch', hand cast made with glass wax and wire.
'Tension Fabricated', 2023.
60 x 60 x 80cm
Steel, yarn, rope.
'Tension Fabricated' displays an abstract representation of the human torso, the yarn represents the network of blood vessels and capillaries inside the body while the cuboid represents the rib cage and outer components which protect the body. The work explores themes of internal, external and the idea of containment through the composition of the materials. The yarn is contained inside the cuboid, however due to the negative space the yarn is still able to flow out with the walls of the structure, creating some irony. The yarn ball is left on the floor to create this urge of touch and play, while not being refrained from doing so.
'Tension Fabricated', 2023.
'Tension Fabricated' details, 2023.
'Tension Fabricated' details, 2023.
'Tension Fabricated' details, 2023.
'Tension Fabricated' details, 2023.
'Tension Fabricated', 2023.
'Target Practice', 2023.
Ply wood, nails, yarn, tea stained.
80 x 60cm
'Target Practice', installed in Embassy Gallery 2023, as part of 'Hint of Salón'. Wood, nails, yarn, tea stained.
'Target Practice', installed in Embassy Gallery 2023, as part of 'Hint of Salón'. Wood, nails, yarn, tea stained.
'Target Practice', installed in Embassy Gallery 2023, as part of 'Hint of Salón'. Wood, nails, yarn, tea stained.
'Target Practice', installed in Embassy Gallery 2023, as part of 'Hint of Salón'. Wood, nails, yarn, tea stained.
'Target Practice', installed in Embassy Gallery 2023, as part of 'Hint of Salón'. Wood, nails, yarn, tea stained.
'Humans Connection with nature', 2022.
Latex, thread, wire, found branches, acrylic paint, fishing line.
220 x 180 x 180cm
Veins are organic components found in nature and the human body. Within a leaf the veins begin at the bottom of the leaf and grow and branch out, each connecting to one another. This network references the central and peripheral nervous system, blood vessels and capillaries within the human body. 'Humans Connection with Nature' was created with the intention of imitating nature in a humanistic way to highlight this connection both components have to each other.
'Humans Connection with Nature' installed in ECA sculpture court as part of 'THREE' exhibition, March 2022.
'Humans Connection with Nature' pictured with person to show scale.
Underneath view of 'Humans Connection with Nature'.
Underneath view of 'Humans Connection With Nature'.
Latex, red thread, wire.
Latex, thread, wire.
latex, thread, wire.
latex, thread, wire.
Latex, thread, wire.
'Micro-plastic Future', 2022.
100 x 60 x 80cm
Found branch, acetate, wire, plaster
'Micro-plastic Future', 2022. Found branch, acetate, wire, plaster.
'Micro-plastic Future', 2022. Found branch, acetate, wire, plaster.
'Pickled Anatomy', 2022.
40 x 50 x 60cm
Glass, gelatine, thread, yarn, wax.
'Pickled Anatomy', 2022, Glass, gelatine, thread, yarn, wax.
'Pickled Anatomy', 2022, Glass, gelatine, thread, yarn, wax.
'Pickled Anatomy', 2022, Glass, gelatine, thread, yarn, wax.
Details of 'Pickled Anatomy', glass, gelatine, yarn, thread.
Close up of thread and yarn encased in gelatine.
Thread and yarn encased in glass and gelatine.
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