At the end of 2024 we were joined by our wonderful Gray’s Graduate Resident Reebcca Rae. Rebecca joined us alongside a range of other artists and spent time working across metals and ceramics. It was a joy to have Reebcca join us and to continue our important connection with Grays School of Art in Aberdeen.
Below Rebecca shares her insights and experiences of being on Residency at SSW.
Words and Images by Rebecca Rae:
Being awarded the Graduate Award for my degree show at Gray’s School of Art in 2022 was a privilege, a recognition that quickly became a real motivator for my self-esteem and my creative practice. Due to unforeseen issues, I couldn’t attend the residency until November 2024.
Two years after leaving Gray’s, I was in the bottomless pit of the horror of life after art school. I was suffering with artist burnout, I had no balance of work/life/art, and I was not motivated with my practice – admittedly, this all left me feeling a sort of imposter syndrome when I arrived at the site in Lumsden. Luckily, my worries were soon quashed after meeting the wonderful team at SSW. With a month ahead of me involving creative experiments and a chance to delve into the ceramics and metal workshops, I had total freedom to try whatever I wanted. That was exciting and horrifying. For the last two years, all I have had in my head was that I had to make something so moving, so surreal, so spectacular. In the end, I made a couple chairs, lots of bowls and a nifty wee ceramic digestive container. So, really, I achieved just that.
Originally, I began with having a nosey at the library situated inside the main studios and having access to a huge catalogue of previous artist residents publications was invaluable when researching and determining where my starting point should be. A phrase that has often stuck with me during my practice is “don’t think, just do”, so I did. My practice mainly involves a look into the absurd and how it collides with the everyday. This is based on my experiences with OCD. I like to use absurdism as a way to turn impulsions and irrational thoughts into light-hearted sculptures and works. As this award was given to me through my degree show, I wanted to relate back to a similar idea. In my degree I had created a series of uneven and wonky light switches and sockets, a play on an ordinary object but making it unappealing to the aesthetic eye yet keeping its functionality. With this idea in mind, I began looking at chairs, specifically the definition of a seat. I was keen to dig my claws into the metal workshop and began by making a small stool, ideal for a kids table but uncomfortable for any adult over five feet tall. I had discussions with Ruaridh and Sam, and soon I moved towards creating a chair that was uncomfortable to sit on but still fell under the definition of a chair.
Whilst on my residency, I had the good fortune to share the space with three other artists who each contributed to the process of my works in one way or another. From climbing and laying horizontally on my sculpture to suggesting locations for me to photograph my work, it felt like a real hub of excitement where we could discuss our ideas openly.
One of the highlights of this residency was the wood firing outdoors! Led by artist Lillann Ulverud, SSW Ceramics Technician Amy and Technical Manager Ruaridh, it was a really fascinating experience to watch as the kiln was prepped and loaded with beautiful varying ceramics – including a clay imprint of my very own arse. I had wanted to make a ceramic seat “cushion” on top of a metal stool base, creating an impression of my own bum, makign a bespoke artist’s seat just for myself. Sadly, it exploded in the kiln (a note – always make sure your pieces are fully dry before firing them in a kiln, my precious print suffered the consequences of this).
The entire residency was filled with new experiences, from learning to weld to throwing clay on the potters wheel. Amy was super encouraging when I asked for her help and guidance with the ceramics studio. I’d had minimal encounters with clay before but wasn’t exactly reassured to keep practicing at it, so it was refreshing to have a positive take on it for once! I had the same encouragement from Ruaridh in the metal workshop, being a total novice at anything metal. I was soon in there almost every day for the first few weeks, cutting, welding and angle grinding away and having the time of my life making my chairs. Whenever I needed to take a step back from the studio, I would often go for a wander round the beautiful scenery in Lumsden with the SSW team. Liz, SSW’s Finance Assistant, always had an interesting fact about the Lumsden area, and it felt enriching to be in such a delightful environment with so many interesting histories.
I can’t express how valuable this residency was to my practice and my wellbeing; it felt like a breath of fresh air and reinforced that art has no restrictions. I give my biggest thanks to all those at SSW and to the fellow artists I met whilst there, my creative practice is forever altering and the Graduate Residency helped to shape it for the better.
