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Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, Penzance, TR20 8YL

Profile

Name

Julia Giles

Member Since

2005

Statement

Broadly speaking, my work is about the living landscape and our relationship with it. This has included an exploration of customs and mythologies surrounding our relationship with the land and the elements – aspects that belong to a time when most of humanity lived ‘within’ the ecosystem, not outside it. The balance has shifted. It is common knowledge that with the growth of industry and technology, much of the world’s population has in many ways become separated from ‘nature’, and damage caused by human activity has disrupted the cycles of the natural world, leading to climate change, loss of habitat and the depletion of wildlife. One way or another, these issues inform my artwork.  

I have been a member of the NSA since 2005, on the committee since 2020 and Chair since 2023. 

Education

2004 – 06 MA Fine Art Middlesex University

1993 – 95 MA Art Psychotherapy Goldsmiths’ College

1981 – 84 BA (Hons) Fine Art, Bath Academy of Art, Corsham

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Julia Giles https://www.artworkjuliagiles.co.uk

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About

Julia Giles

NSA Chair 2023 -26

I grew up on my family’s farm in Cornwall, where I worked with my father and grandfather until leaving home for art school. After art school I trained as a teacher and later as an Art Therapist (MA Goldsmiths’ College). I lived in London for over 30 years, working as a specialist teacher for children at risk of exclusion from school. Long school holidays allowed for extended stays on the farm, enabling me to gather material for my  artwork; all through the years in London the land remained at the heart of my practice.

I am an Associate of the Groundwork Network, which is based in Norfolk. I have participated in selected group exhibitions, film festivals and residencies across the country. I work with a wide range of media, the choice of which depends on the project or investigation in hand. I have worked collaboratively with other artists, including writers and musicians. I have been a member of the NSA since 2005.  I’ve been on the NSA Committee for 6 years and am proud to have been Chair for three (April 2023 to May 2026).

www.artworkjuliagiles.co.uk

@juliagiles_artwork