Alison Baxter wire sculptures West Dean College

Alison Baxter

Alison Baxter started working at the College as a jewellery tutor, then as Head of Short Courses before taking on the Head of School role in 2017. She has many years experience in developing and implementing creative programmes in several Art Schools, as well as teaching across a broad range of subjects. 

Alison has a well established practice as a jeweller exhibiting work worldwide. Recent exhibitions of both jewellery and textiles include; Miniartextil, Italy, Collectiva, Portugal, Beijing International Jewellery Art, China, All things Considered 9: Basketry in the 21st Century, USA, Mini Textile Art Scythia, Ukraine. Her work is in public and private collections including the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Galerie Ra, Amsterdam and The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas,USA.
She studied BA in jewellery at Middlesex University and an MA in textiles at UCA, Farnham.

Her current practice is focussed on exploring the duality between jewellery and textile art, solidity and fragility. She is interested in how the perception of an art work can be changed and altered when either worn or alternatively presented as an installation. She uses materials to capture and contain the impermanent, and to reveal the minute details that are overlooked and undervalued.

Research interests

  • Materiality  
  • Duality between jewellery and textile art
  • Ideas around societal conformity
  • Monumentality in the miniature
  • Historical traces of place and person

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