https://www.collectivematter.co.uk/
Collective Matter is a socially engaged trio, using clay and materials to explore cross-disciplinary practice and creative communication and learning. Conceived by three artists Eva Masterman, Mary O’Malley and Katie Spragg, their individual practices span sculpture, film, design, curation, writing and education. All have exhibited and participated in residencies both in the UK and internationally and have their work held in collections across the world. Brought together during their time on the Ceramics & Glass MA at the Royal College of Art, the collective was formed in 2016 through a shared interest in the state of arts education and skills-based learning.
The Collective was formed in order to explore the potential of clay as an artistic and cultural tool to engage diverse audiences both within and beyond the art world. Practical clay workshops and events, form the backbone of ongoing research into the potential of material language as a form of interdisciplinary learning and creativity. Collective Matter’s largest project to date was a six-month residency for the Tate Exchange in 2017 in collaboration with Gasworks, Beaconsfield Gallery Vauxhall, Pump House Gallery, Nine Elms Vauxhall Partnership, where they explored the changing narrative and demographic of the area of Nine Elms through clay workshops, discussions, story-collecting and public presentations.
Their newest venture is a flexible clay studio alongside Turner Prize winning arts/architecture/design group Assemble, with the aim to create a permanent space in which to explore clay as a socially engaged, discursive tool. Through combining practical application with critical discussion, they hope to contribute to the wider professional dialogue surrounding the recent trends in material making and social responsibility within the arts.