We talk to AOH brochure cover artist, Daisy Jordan
Hi Daisy,
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background as an artist?
I’m a visual artist, maker and puppeteer, born and raised in Dartford, currently based in Brighton. I studied Fine Art Painting at the University of Brighton from 2006-2009.
How did you become a puppeteer?
I discovered my love for puppets after taking an evening class with artist Isobel Smith shortly after graduating, in which I created a life-sized orangutan complete with bonnet and dress. Since then, I have created and performed in my own puppet shows, often inspired by history and folklore, such as The Sorrowful Tale of Sleeping Sidney based on the Brighton Chocolate Poisoner. I have regularly performed since 2010 as puppeteer and singing waitress at Jane Bom-Bane’s cafe in Brighton, which I feel really helped shape me as an artist and performer, and played a big part in directing my path.
What are the influences and themes of your work?
Storytelling is a really important part of my practice, whether that story be told through painting, a puppet show or my cardboard assemblage pieces. My work tends to explore the boundary between human and “other”, with a particular focus on non-human primates. For me, our ever changing relationship with, and perception of, our simian cousins encapsulates our complicated engagement with the natural world in a more general sense. Hovering on the seeming boundary between human and other, monkeys and apes have always provoked in us feelings of fascination and discomfort, and this, as a result, has led to their exploitation. I enjoy playfully exploring this boundary by showing apes and monkeys in “human” environments, such as the AOH brochure cover piece Olive Baboons on Rooftops.
See Daisy’s work at:
The Studio Gallery,
3 Westbourne Grove, Hove BN3 5PJ
In the West Hove trail
And at:
The Old Market,
11a Upper Market Street, Hove BN3 1AS
27th April -31st May
Weekdays: 13.00–17.00 + when venue is open for performances
Take a look at Daisy’s short films: Experiments in Animation
Find out more about Daisy Jordan at www.daisyjordan.co.uk