INSPIRED BY WINNERS 2008
'Eternal Elements', Kelly Harcus, Inspired by… 2008
Winner 'Entrant of the Year'
'Eternal Elements'
Made by Kelly Harcus during her A Book of Your Own Class at Mary Ward Centre
Kelly Harcus's husband accepting the Entrant of the Year Award in her absense from Barry Norris, Assistant Publicity Coordinator at NIACE, Inspired By 2008
Inspired by…
'I was awed by Lu Shengzhong's incredible paper cutting. I noticed that in spite of the significant changes in Chinese culture over the centuries, certain elements seem eternal. I picked up these threads in some modern pieces and tied them to the past with traditional touches such as the Mandarin calligraphy and traditional signature stamp. There is a page to illustrate each of these elements: earth, air, fire, water, spirituality, man.'
'Human Walls and Bricks', detail of installation from Out of the Ordinary exhibition at the V&A, Lu Shengzhong, 2006.
Her judge's comment:
The judges loved what Kelly had to say about her experiences and so in her own words: 'This competition has made me realise that art can be created in all walks of life. Everyone's art has validity; it isn't restricted to a select group of 'real' artists... Through this competition I have begun to understand that my work has value outside my own experience and my enjoyment of the process. Art gives us a voice that can cross boundaries. For 'Inspired by...' I lifted my voice and took the opportunity to speak.' The judges felt that Kelly's assessment of crossing boundaries and lifting voices perfectly suited the spirit of Adult Learners' Week and wished to congratulate her wholeheartedly for her beautifully crafted book: which represented not only her own impressive learning journey but also the strong contribution that museums can make to the learning journeys of all adults.'
Judge and prize donor: Barry Norris, Assistant Publicity Co-ordinator at National Institute of Adult Continuing Education