Meg Viney--Profile pic-3

My practice involves a relationship with Nature’s momentum – I find something wonderful in gathering her cast-offs, and, through a number of simple processes, transforming them. The cast-offs that would otherwise decompose are recycled to become new materials, which have a life of their own – thus the beauty inherent in the plant fibre and subtly concealed by the living plant is revealed as new form. Pulp, for paper making, for example.

Years ago, whilst living and studying in USA, I was strongly influenced by Native American Culture with its gentle approach to the world, its belief that spirit is inherent in all things, and with the attitude that ‘less is best’ – the ultimate statement of conservation of the environment.

The central concern of my work is ‘containment’ – the assurance of emotional, spiritual and physical security. Vessels refer to the concept that all living entities emerge from a vessel that has self and nurtured the gestating form from contraception to emergence – be it an egg, cocoon, a uterus, a bud, a seedpod, a shell – the reality is Universal – the inference, the assurance of containment.