Still Life Shortlist

These small-scale sculptures were created by combining objects found on the foreshore of the River Thames in London, England. For centuries, items have been lost or thrown into the river and it has become a remarkable repository of artefacts that tell stories that connect us with the world. These ‘derelict playgrounds’ are constructed from pieces of shoe leather and pins. The shoe leather may have been lost by a child in Tudor times, or a ship worker in the 19th century, while the pins were typically hand-made in small workshops (many on London Bridge). Such remnants once held us together, protecting our feet or pinning us into a nappy or shroud, and most clothing in between – an Elizabethan collar might have had as many as 60 pins holding it together.

Elaine is an artist based in London. She has exhibited internationally and has work in collections which include The V&A and The Museum of Fine Art, Houston. Her work is represented on the E Coast of the US by Klompching Gallery, NY. Alongside making her own series of work for exhibition, she undertakes artist residencies and works alongside institutions to devise and deliver special projects. Elaine is best known for her work with Scanography and the intense focus she dedicates to objects.