There is often a great divide between education or community projects and the production of artwork. Maria Wilson however uses this slightly uneasy relationship to form positive collaborations between, often marginalised groups and her own ideas.
The outcome of these projects can be edgy and uncomfortable, giving the viewer a window onto unseen narratives. Unlike doc-soap filming the collaborators are not puppets for the editor, instead they take full control and authorship over the filming and construction process leaving the viewer to work out the truth from the fiction.
Wilson is one of Wales' most interesting new artists forging not only a prolific career but also and individual and unique way of working. For a recent project at Maesgwyn Special School, Aberdare, Wales as part of Opt for Art, a project funded by the Arts Council of Wales, Maria set out to have the same level of ambition, conceptually and materially, that she has brought to her studio work, resulting in video works that shows a reciprocal facet to her recent work.