Sophie Hacker, 12 – 26 October, 2024
The proximity to the energy of the elements was a major fire for creativity. I worked past midnight most days, and came back home with almost an entire exhibition of new work. Despite my original intentions of working with the local landscape, in the end I used the residency to focus almost exclusively on next year’s End of Residency show at the Gilbert White House and Museum. Because my practice is diverse in mediums, and I am usually running more than five commissions, to have time and space away from my chaotic studio and project management office was far more freeing than I had anticipated. Because I was surrounded only by the immediate work in front of me, and entirely free from the usual pressures of home life, new ideas had space to open up and develop. I returned to practices I hadn’t explored for years, and was truly delighted with the results. A lasting lesson learned is that I should not continue to spread myself so thin across so many projects: focussing on one idea and seeing it through to a natural conclusion brings great rewards.
Website: www.sophiehacker.com
