firstsite contemporary art colchester

Tessa Farmer, Hell's Angel

25 March – 6 May 2006
Tessa Farmer
The Terror

THE latest artist to be touched by the Midas like chequebook of Charles Saatchi – Tessa Farmer – comes to firstsite this month.

Farmer has been commissioned to create a new work for firstsite, consisting of a large “breeding ground” of faeries in the Minories’ mock gothic folly in the garden.

Farmer’s faeries will hatch in a seized wasps-nest before swarming from the fireplace in one of the galleries: “they will plunder the surrounding land and find their way into the main building through the chimney, where they will gather in their fleets of skeletal ships and prepare for combat,” says Farmer.

The Terror takes its title from short story written by the artist’s great grandfather, Arthur Machen. Both the story and the artwork centre around the terror of animals revolting against mankind.

Birmingham born Farmer has made a name for herself as the creator of such vicious fantasy pitched battles between faeries and wasps – all poised and created from real dead insect parts.

She has collected dead bees, flies, hornets and dragonflies. When suspended in the air on strings, each dead insect is “ridden” by little stick people, little evil faeries from hell.

These wield insect body parts as weapons and upon their six legged mounts, like some Lilliputian horsemen of the apocalypse, do deadly combat to defeat their mortal enemies – the wasps.

Originally manufactured from sticks, the faeries are now pieced together from microscopic pieces of root, soil and glue. Recently her creations have also started to show signs of mutations, the faeries turning into the wasps and even growing inside the wasps only to burst out.

“As they are getting smaller they are getting more evil, and they keep getting smaller,” Farmer said.

This parasitic behaviour of the imaginary faeries echoes natural activity of some species of wasps and some reflection of other aspects of insect natural history can be seen elsewhere in her work.

Farmer’s work hit headlines around the world last year as the latest pieces to be purchased by Saatchi.

He bought one work Swarm which consists of 110 microscopically detailed faery warriors.

This work is confirmed to hang in the new Saatchi gallery due to open at Chelsea.

Farmer, 28, says the insect creations were inspired by her time spent studying fine arts at Oxford University.

For further information and images contact firstsite press and marketing officer David Grocott on 01206 577067.

Click here to view a firstsite paper essay about Tessa's work.

	Tessa Farmer, Hell's Angel 25 March – 6 May 2006 Tessa Farmer The Terror THE latest artist to be touched by the Midas like chequebook of Charles Saatchi – Tessa Farmer – comes to firstsite this month. Farmer has been commissioned to create a new work for firstsite, consisting of a large “breeding ground” of faeries in the Minories’ mock gothic folly in the garden. Farmer’s faeries will hatch in a seized wasps-nest before swarming from the fireplace in one of the galleries: “they will plunder the surrounding land and find their way into the main building through the chimney, where they will gather in their fleets of skeletal ships and prepare for combat,” says Farmer. The Terror takes its title from short story written by the artist’s great grandfather, Arthur Machen. Both the story and the artwork centre around the terror of animals revolting against mankind. Birmingham born Farmer has made a name for herself as the creator of such vicious fantasy pitched battles between faeries and wasps – all poised and created from real dead insect parts. She has collected dead bees, flies, hornets and dragonflies. When suspended in the air on strings, each dead insect is “ridden” by little stick people, little evil faeries from hell. These wield insect body parts as weapons and upon their six legged mounts, like some Lilliputian horsemen of the apocalypse, do deadly combat to defeat their mortal enemies – the wasps. Originally manufactured from sticks, the faeries are now pieced together from microscopic pieces of root, soil and glue. Recently her creations have also started to show signs of mutations, the faeries turning into the wasps and even growing inside the wasps only to burst out. “As they are getting smaller they are getting more evil, and they keep getting smaller,” Farmer said. This parasitic behaviour of the imaginary faeries echoes natural activity of some species of wasps and some reflection of other aspects of insect natural history can be seen elsewhere in her work. Farmer’s work hit headlines around the world last year as the latest pieces to be purchased by Saatchi. He bought one work Swarm which consists of 110 microscopically detailed faery warriors. This work is confirmed to hang in the new Saatchi gallery due to open at Chelsea. Farmer, 28, says the insect creations were inspired by her time spent studying fine arts at Oxford University. For further information and images contact firstsite press and marketing officer David Grocott on 01206 577067. Click here to view a firstsite paper essay about Tessa's work.