Exmoor National Dress (for Triparks)

A residency by Karen Guthrie in Exmoor National Park

Project: Triparks is a project providing 6 artists' residencies to explore commonalities and differences between three of England's National Parks: Exmoor, Dartmoor and Northumberland.

Date: Ongoing
Commissioner: Aune Head Arts, Somerset Arts Work & Allenheads Contemporary Arts

I'm spending time throughout spring and summer 2008 in Exmoor National Park (Somerset). Myself and another artist, Harald Smykla are based in the Park, whilst Triparks has also commissioned Paul Grimmer, Bridget Kennedy, High Nankivell and Volkhardt Muller to work in Northumberland and Dartmoor.

The project I've come up with is to devise an Exmoor National Dress. I'm making the costume partly in collaboration with people here, and then using it to make photographic portraits of Exmoor people I've met along they way. Much of my time has been spent on historic research and tracking down local makers, like Tom Lock of Hawkridge who carves and makes with antlers beautifully. He's contributing a head-dress to the final costume. Other local contributors are landscapist Maurice Bishop and Shearwell Data, who make animal eartags.

From the links on the right you can look at some of my research, plus documentation of a stand we did at the Dunster Show, a traditional country event.
I'm on Exmoor for the week of Oct. 6th concluding the project by taking photographs and shooting a short film.
If you would like to know more about the project, do email me on
karen@exmoornationaldress.info

There will also be a preview of the finished project in Dulverton in mid-November and a full touring show in 2009 - more info soon.