Art Installation at Cromford Mill

Olivia, who lives in Wirksworth worked at Cromford Mill with the help of Derbyshire County Council, the Arkwright Society and Longcliffe Quarry.

The illusory light reflecting work, and use of cotton dust, evokes memories of crowded workspaces, looms and the dusty atmosphere.

Olivia’s work is site-specific and relates directly to the history of the site and location it’s placed in.
The installation used the effect of the light streaming through the mill windows in a dusty environment, playing upon the history of cotton production and the dust it produces. Gavin Repton filmed and photographed the work. Cotton dust was used as well as other kinds of dust to create the work.  

 Olivia works mainly in installation and experiments with different locations and the narratives they inspire. “We forget that history goes right up to yesterday, and my daily involvement with heritage meant that this was the perfect project for me.” She added: “It’s this emphasis on a sense of location and history that’s led me to develop this particular piece of work at Cromford Mill. I want the work to honour the spirit of the place its in.”

Olivia’s work was installed at Cromford Mill, but because of the dangers of cotton dust, the public will only be able to view the film and photographs online (arkwrightsociety.org.uk, artsderbyshire.org.uk, and oliviapunnett.com) and in publications.

  
She added: “Art is an ideal way to explore this footprint in history; where technological developments revolutionised the global market of textiles”

Contact: Olivia Punnett: 07789757413
www.oliviapunnett.com
www.gavinrepton.com