In 2005 Anne Schwegmann-Fielding received a grant from the Leverhulme Trust for an artist development residency based at Writtle College, Essex. She collaborated with Andy Boorman, a Senior Lecturer in Landscape Management, and the Centre for the Arts and Design in the Environment (CADE).
“A good collaboration is like going on a journey without a map, never knowing quite where you will end up.”
Jeremy Deller, Turner Prize winner 2004
Andy and Anne have experienced the truth of this statement. Although, they intended discrete outcomes and kept to a plan of sorts, their concentration on ‘processes’ meant the Landscape of Mosaic was open ended.
Unexpected outcomes included the transformation with glass, mirror or ceramic of objects collected from various college departments. A wheelbarrow became a mobile artwork travelling from restaurant to individual offices encouraging all to engage in its mosaicing. The residency culminated with an exhibition in June 2006.
The Mosaic Meadow was one of the most important projects. This unique landscape installation combines artist source materials and wild flowers. It truly is sciart collaboration and serendipitously emerged during the residency. It now forms part of ongoing research into species rich meadows and is providing Anne with source materials.
Both Anne and Andy now know that a good collaboration is merely the start of the journey. Anne’s interest in landscape grows with her garden and on-going research. Writtle College are installing another of Anne’s designs in a light well.