Claire Barclay's sculptural installation responded in part to the architectural features, the light and context of Camden Art Centre as a place for the production and reception of fine art and craft.
Barclay took part in the Early One Morning exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery in 2002, which heralded a new generation of sculptors. Here she was given free rein to pursue her pure pleasure in the process of making. Her sensitive configurations of different sculpted objects create dynamic juxtapositions of industrial methods and handcrafted items. At Camden Art Centre she used straw bales, lime render, fabric, stainless steel, woven straw and leather.
Barclay challenges our attitudes to ‘craft’; by employing traditional techniques associated with alternative lifestyle cultures and non-fine art practices, she questions the marginalisation of some crafts and their commodification.
