Jenny Beavan
Overview
Jenny Beavan’s practice explores the relationship between material and place, with a particular focus on the interdependence of water and geological change. The work captures transient moments within ongoing processes of transformation, reflecting both the physical and metaphorical qualities of landscape as a vessel of containment.
Rooted in direct experience, the practice is shaped by walking and sustained engagement with specific sites. Repeated journeys through familiar terrain—often following watercourses—cultivate a heightened sensitivity to subtle seasonal shifts and evolving surface conditions.
The work is drawn to landscapes that reveal their internal structures and histories: eroding coastal cliffs, valley gorges, volcanic craters, subterranean mine workings, and the ever-shifting industrial terrains of the china clay pits. Each site presents a distinct geological composition and narrative, forming a layered matrix of material and time. Immersion within these environments evokes a deep sense of connection and belonging.
Following more than sixteen years of engagement with the china clay industry, the artist has recently secured a third residency with IMERYS Minerals, enabling continued access to the pits for research and collaborative exploration.