Frances Desforges - artist
Statement
Using images and information from Dr. Toby Tyrrell's web site, EHUX, and in correspondence with him, the artist has focussed upon a species of coccolithophore, a phytoplankton found in the northern oceans.
Emiliania huxleyi is a minute, one celled, spherical, drifting, oceanic plant enclosed within about thirty intricate, beautiful calcite shields. Over billions of years such calcite shields, falling to the bottom of the ocean, formed structures such as the white cliffs of Dover.
This work attempts to draw attention to these almost transparent microscopic plants of the North Atlantic. They are important both in the food chain and carbon cycle for the health and oxygenation of the ocean and atmosphere and have vital connections therefore with current concerns.
The images are presented in inverted micro-macro format and focus upon certain related concepts such as bloom, overproduction, dissolution and death. Through the use of graphite and white ink the work aims to present images capable of multiple readings.
Bio
Frances Desforges is a retired teacher who worked in Primary and Higher Education She studied Fine Art at University College Chichester where she gained a 1st class hons. degree from University of Southampton in 2004.
She currently works with the Seawhite Artists Group and has been a member of ARTEL for 7 years contributing on a regular basis to their exhibitions. She has also exhibited at the Schuster Gallery (1997), the RHS botanical show (1998), U.C.C Open exhibitions, (1999 & 2001), at Bedales School (2004) and the Chichester Open 2006.
