'Art as Experience'

I’m Emily Hatton, an abstract sculpture artist based in Dorset. I grew up in London, where beautiful architecture surrounded me but went unnoticed by most. It was my father, a lover of architecture, who would remind me to ‘always look up’. He was referring to the ornate details of the Georgian rooflines that so often went unseen by the bustling city below them. His words shaped the way I see and eventually, the way I make.

In the final year of my arts degree, I began tracing the silhouetted rooflines around me, reworking their forms through repetition, scale and perspective. Through this process I began to transform something so commonplace into something abstract and dynamic, that invites closer inspection. Layered surfaces that catch the light and draw the viewer in, encouraging both visual engagement and a desire to reach out and touch the work. Colour and contrast, light and shadow, play a vital role in shaping the optical effect of perceived movement within the work, and when viewed in person with a changing perspective, the work can seem ever changing. 

As a part of my practice I also explore how discarded materials can be transformed and reimagined, creating unique surface qualities and becoming something entirely new. By giving these materials a renewed purpose, I reveal their aesthetic potential and challenge perceptions of value and waste. 

Ultimately, through my work, I aim to evoke an emotional response in the viewer by taking them to a feeling of childlike wonderment through their experience of it. The work rewards sustained attention by gradually unveiling itself through a series of unexpected moments that inspire delight, curiosity and a joyful sense of discovery.