Shaun Featherstone
Lives and works in Cardiff
Shaun Featherstone’s work is rooted in collaboration and social engagement and has become increasingly politicized in recent years. A common thread is the extent to which he is willing to hand over large portions of his projects to be manipulated and used by others – creating situations which invite or even demand collaboration. The works, including screen prints, publications and street installation are often unapologetic, bespoke platforms for dissemination or protest by social or political activist communities.
His most significant work is the anti-diamond jubilee newspaper great frock n robe swindle (2012) which pulled together new and re-published material by artists, writers, academics, journalists, and burlesque dancers and was distributed in its thousands throughout the UK over the jubilee weekend. This also gave birth to Frock n Robe, a platform for provocation, dissent and activism instigated by Shaun and guest collaborators. The project opened up a dialogue with political groups and activists, and this has continued to inform subsequent work. An accredited shop steward, Shaun is working with several trade unions to explore how artists and the organised labour movement can work together to support the struggle for social justice - a conversation he describes as ‘kicking ass for the working class’.
He has held a number of notable visual arts posts in Wales including Director of Cardiff Arts in Education Agency, Curator of contemporary exhibitions at Newport Art Gallery and Welsh Development Officer for engage: National Association for Gallery Education. In the early 1990s he co-founded Stepping Stone Arts an artist-led participatory arts project based in South East Wales. Recent exhibitions include Diamond Geezer, WW Gallery, London (2012) and 'political animals', Made in Roath (2013).
Unit#1 Shaun Featherstone (Frock n Robe)
Links :
www.shaunfeatherstone.blogspot.co.uk/
