LOUISE FRANCES SMITH
2023
wireweed, bioplastic, cotton scrim, cotton thread.
15 x 200 x 120 cm
 
This piece from the series ‘Sargassum Tide’ features works made using wireweed seaweed (Sargassum muticum) and Pacific oysters (Magallana gigas), two ‘non-native’ species currently thriving on the UK coastlines due to climate change. Louise has collected these materials from her local coastline to create a new body of experimental work that shows the repercussions of human intervention on our fragile coastal ecosystems. ‘Bloom’ is a hanging sculpture inspired by bryozoa, tiny colony creatures that live on seaweed creating intricate patterns and shapes.
 
Photo credit: Yeshen Venema