Angela Gillies

The sloping sands of the quarry landscape provide habitats for an array of birds, and the colours, textures and contour lines of this anthropogenic environment provide a wealth of inspiration for artistic exploration. Observing birds that populate this man-made setting is incredibly entertaining, and highlights potential positive impacts that these transient landscapes can have upon certain species. Sand martins for example migrate from Sub-Saharan Africa to excavate their burrows within the soft sands of aggregate quarries, which provide some of the few remaining habitats left available to them.

Resources yielded from the ground are finite and it is important to reuse them wherever possible, especially precious metals and gemstones used in the jewellery industry. Sustainability is therefore a fundamental component of my working practice. The techniques I use involve mined and quarried materials that are commonly utilised in the scientific industries and discarded as waste. My intaglio prints and etched silver are produced using electro-etching rather than harmful acids, and I make my own silver wire, sheet and casting grain from materials sourced from the pharmaceutical industry. Any additional metals I use are recycled, and all of my gemstones are sourced from small-scale artisanal mines. It is important that my work incorporates materials with a known supply chain and source, and that people, wildlife and the environment have been protected as far as possible.