my work is about, rather than of, landscapes, in particular the landscapes of the north of england. i go for the wild and the bleak places, where the land has been scarred by industry, mined for minerals, exploited and then abandoned. i am also interested in the ways that landscapes can regenerate, bury the past, turn back to the wild. the scratchings and markings made by tools and machines are soon swamped as nature floods back in.

the creatures that inhabit these spaces cling to survival. i am fascnated by moths - moths are beautiful and mysterious, they are creatures of the night, blind pilots, moon-worshipers. their life cycles confuse and amaze, their markings and varieties transfix. a moth’s intimate relationship with its food plant leaves it precariously placed, vulnerable to change. population fluctuations are significant indicators of the health of landscapes. i have been a birdwatcher since i was young and they sometimes feature too.

the north east's ancient cultural heritage has always figured in my work. i am conscious of working within a tradition which stretches back fifteen hundred years or more. the opportunity to work closely with the lindisfarne gospels has played a major part in my recent career, the intricacies of the carpet pages is something i frequently return to for ideas and solace.

i use natural and found materials. paints made from pulverised rocks, sludge and dust, the results of rusting and burning. i collect rusted objects and reform them, give them new life. i recycle books, save them from incineration and give them new meaning.

you can view recent work in progress and keep up with projects as they develop on my blog:

www.stephenlivingstone.wordpress.com

you can view my cv and contact me through the axis artist's data base:

www.axisweb.org/artist/stephenlivingstone