MAY 19, 2022. GRACE EBERT

“Nature in Britain” (2012). Photo by Jaron James. All images © Su Blackwell

The enchanting, imaginative narratives usually bound between the covers of a book burst from the page in the sculptures of Su Blackwell. Often sourcing materials from secondhand shops, flea markets, and library sales, the British artist, who’s based in Hastings, constructs lush gardens of birds and wildflowers and quiet cottages in the midst of evergreens that appear to emerge from vintage volumes.

“Migrating Words” (2014)

Imbued with movement in the form of wind or waves, the whimisical works tend to revolve around the fleeting and finding refuge during times of loneliness and mundanity. Blackwell shares with Colossal:

I take my inspiration from fairytales and folklore and use these well-known tales as conduits for modern-day experiences. I often search for stories that relate to my life, whether that be Little Red Riding Hood meeting the big bad wolf or a princess given an impossible task of spinning straw (or in my case ‘words’) into gold, as in the Brother Grimm’s story “Rumplestiltskin. “The themes I explore have a universal appeal, and overall, there is a sense of hope pervading the works.

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Left: “The Painted Lady” (2019). Photo by John Reynolds. Top right: “Weeds.” Bottom right: “Weeds (How to Control and Love Them” (2021)

More: Wildflowers, Trees, and Quaint Cabins Spring From Su Blackwell’s Book Sculptures