Since being launched in January 2018 by Chloe Uden, who was soon joined by long-time collaborator Naomi Wright, Art and Energy have been exploring the aesthetic versatility of solar photo voltaic technology, and have developed a craftivist approach to generating green energy, the results of which will be launched in Exeter this weekend.
Art and Energy have accessed support from Fab Lab Plymouth as part of the Environmental Futures & Big Data Impact Lab, £6.4 million project, part-funded by a £3.4 million grant from the European Regional Development Fund. The Impact Lab brings together seven world-class Devon-based organisations – Plymouth College of Art, the University of Plymouth, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, the University of Exeter, Exeter City Futures, the Met Office, and Rothamsted Research.
Over the last year or so, Art and Energy have worked with a host of creative and technical specialists from across the South West and beyond, including master glassmaker and Fab Lab guru Ian Hankey at Fab Lab Plymouth, here at Plymouth College of Art, as well the Environment and Sustainability Institute at The University of Exeter, LaserCutz in Honiton, and The RSA in London.
Since the summer of 2018, Art and Energy have also worked with Jenny Ayrton, a Plymouth College of Art graduate and glass artist. Jenny officially joined the Art and Energy team in February 2019. She specialises in sand and kiln cast glass, etching and engraving.
