For the last 3 years Smith has collaborated with Devon based Curator Gareth Ballyn. In 2012 they received funding from Arts Council England for their project Winner: highstreetneighbourhood. A large community project which celebrated the heritage and people of Winner Street in Paignton.
For more info go http://highstreetneighbourhood.blogspot.co.uk/
West End Day Trip is a visual art and social enterprise project based in the West End of Plymouth, UK and is curated by Gareth Ballyn. I taught a number of workshops to a group of NEET students which included working with archive imagery and line drawings based on the West End of Plymouth. I also worked with the students designs to make merchandise, which are now for sale at Plymouth Arts Centre and Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery. For more information visit http://westenddaytrip.wordpress.com/about/
Below shows a number of smaller community based visual art works made by Smith during her time at Wimbledon School of Art.
Pg 106 Revisited, From Michael Young's and Peter Willmott's Sociological Study,
'The Family and Kinship of East london,' 1957 by Holly Smith
Smith found Michael Young's Family and Kinship of East London in a old second hand bookshop in Totnes, S.Devon, whilst she was living in Hackney. She admired the study and other works by Michael Young who was a British sociologist, social activist and politician, who was also from Totnes. She felt a strong desire to capture the current community of Bethnal Green, like what Young had achieved in the late 1950's.
Smith found Shirley whose family had been working on her market stall since the late 1800's on Bethnal Green Road. She showed Shirley a small section of the book, and she recognised nearly everyone from when she was little, which continued Smith's desire to make the film.
Smith filmed Shirley reading out this section of the book, photographed below, and on another screen was a film of people walking down Bethnal Green, it brought a nostalgic sense of how close this community was once, and a celebration to Shirley's family and livelihood. Smith sees this work as an ongoing project, wanting to exhibit this in other market towns in England.
Above is the section that was read by Shelley
Still image from film
Pg 106 Revisited, From Michael Young's and Peter Willmott's Sociological Study,
'The Family and Kinship of East london,' 1957
2008
Views of the Country
Views of the Country (installation, Wimbledon College of Art, 2008) was an interactive participatory piece in which visitors could watch short films that documented farmers and Devon residents discussing their feelings and experiences of change in the rural landscape. Visitors were also able to enjoy a cream tea surrounded by a commemorative tea set painted by a Devon Arts Society, questioning tourist consumerism and how idyllic settings can over shadow important issues. Smith works across various medium and chooses the medium in response to the location/issues within. Most often her work is in drawing, collage, performance and film.
Views of the Country
Postcard
Ceramics painted by Dartmouth Arts Society and Holly Smith
2008
Above, Julia at Dartmouth Arts Society painting her plate for the commemorative tea set.
Below, is the Views of the Country installation,
Wimbledon College of Art
2008
Stills below from the film shown in installation
Views of the Country Discussion with Mr and Mrs Tozer, Mrs Buckpitt and Mrs Wilton
2008
Stills from Research Footage
A Cream Tea in the Making
2008
Marjory Buckpitt
Christine Wilton
Ian Lethbridge and The Mayor of Casterbridge
Here shows a farmer from Devon, Mr Ian Lethbridge reading a paragraph from Thomas Hardy's Mayor of Casterbridge. This film shows the relationship/division between the producer and consumer, Smith likes how it could of be filmed over 50 years ago, it seems to question class as well as the relationships that occur today within different livelihoods, with a nostalgic sense that Hardy brings to both screens.
Research taken at Exeter County Show 2010: 2nd in the Best Sow Competition
Here, Smith is helping local pig breeder Sue Fildes out with her pigs at Exeter County Show, it was an opportunity for Smith to get involved with the competitors, to get an idea behind what makes a prize pig i.e nice round bottom, straight back and white markings on each foot, but most of all to get to know the characters and the importance of these shows for the rural community. With this research and contacts made Smith hopes to develop this work further.
Check out Sue with her pigs below and her website - http://www.dittishamfarm.co.uk/Berkshire_pigs_overview.html
