In 2018 Andrea was commissioned by Somerset Arts Works in partnership with Halsway Manor to create a new and final Somerset Art Works commission as part of 'A Landscape of Objects' funded by Arts Council England.
Andrea Oke became Artist in Residence at Halsway Manor, National Centre for Folk Arts, deep in West Somerset. With parts of the building dating from the 15thCentury and with a mention in the Domesday book, Halsway Manor is imbued with a rich folk heritage that encompasses dragons, devils, murder and Odin’s ghostly blacksmith. Yet much of this folk history is now forgotten creating a borderland of shadows and concealments. Through the combination of traditional craft and digital media Andrea reanimated Halsway Manor’s landscape by exploring some of the forgotten people and the stories that shaped the bedrock of this place.
Andrea Oke became Artist in Residence at Halsway Manor, National Centre for Folk Arts, deep in West Somerset. With parts of the building dating from the 15thCentury and with a mention in the Domesday book, Halsway Manor is imbued with a rich folk heritage that encompasses dragons, devils, murder and Odin’s ghostly blacksmith. Yet much of this folk history is now forgotten creating a borderland of shadows and concealments. Through the combination of traditional craft and digital media Andrea reanimated Halsway Manor’s landscape by exploring some of the forgotten people and the stories that shaped the bedrock of this place.
Shadowland from andrea oke on Vimeo.
The above film is the full version of Shadowland created for this project
In the ‘Shadowland Project’ Andrea says “By creating a visual landscape of folklore and placing Halsway at its centre I hope to start new conversations that prevent both the stories and the storytellers from being lost to us forever.”
During the project Andrea researched the folklore and history of Halsway and its immediate surroundings, utilising resources from within Halsway’s library collection and Somerset’s Heritage Centre, as well as talking to people and visiting local sites. The research inspired and informed a pop-up exhibition of original artwork at Halsway Manor as part of Somerset Open Studios
Crispian Cook, Chief Executive of Halsway Manor said"We are delighted to be hosting Andrea Oke here as Artist in Residence. It is particularly exciting that she is here at a time when we are undergoing changes with our restoration project and widening our creative engagement. Andrea's work here will enrich what we are doing and provide a wonderful chance for members of the public to experience an artist at work during Somerset Open Studios 2018."
Andrea is kept a blog throughout her residency, visit shadowlandproject.wordpress.com to follow her progress.
Shadowland Project was the final commission of Somerset Art Works project A Landscape of Objects, funded by Arts Council England. A Landscape of Objects has consisted of a series of site-specific commissions, residencies, bursaries and curated shows, including new work from local to international artists, during 2017-18. This was a major artistic programme by SAW to encourage research by artists into the spirit of the place, local identity and rural context in the making and presenting of contemporary arts and craft, investigating innovative and imaginative uses of important man-made landscapes and our relationship to them.
