Yorkshire Hoards – Understanding the objective/ subjective value of the objects we continue to earmark, lay, maintain, stow, put away through the artist’s edit.

This practice-led research is focused on non-numismatic historic hoards that have been found within the modern county of Yorkshire; such as the West Yorkshire Hoard. Through this practice-led PhD research, I aim to unpick the relationship we have with collectively kept, hidden and lost objects discovered as hoards.

The definition of a hoard, for the research is as follows;

A Hoard– valuable things.
A group of items brought together gradually or all at once, then hidden or inmost placed.

A hoard or collection is composed of things brought together to form a community, active agents, not passive things. My aim is to identify and document the objects found in hoards, acknowledging and challenging the accepted categories into which they have been placed. This research will investigate the social and personal value of hoards found in the region of Yorkshire, examining hoards from different historical periods as well as more contemporary notions of a ‘hoard’ in relation to contemporary art practice.

‘Small Makes‘

My practice-led PhD thinking and making process so far has been physically documented through my Small Makes – a production of work which is ongoing. These are small object pieces, made in response to my hoard research. They are visual markers and can be seen as preliminary drawings. Some feel finished in their own right; physically and the thinking behind these creations and other less so. Some will and have led to a bigger piece (full thoughts) such as Golder than gold, Nicks – a physicality, A hoard you say (dual) and others not, at least not yet. They are hanging loose threads waiting for their next connection, their next object to lead them into another visual marker or more substantial piece.

March 2020 – Ongoing

Aug 2019 – February 2020

Nov 2017 – July 2019