ArtStudent

Mum’smemories inspires exhibition

Anartistwho ‘ran away from the circus’ to go to university has showcased her work on home turf at the recent Staffordshire University’s Degree Show.

Eve Travis is one of hundreds of students across Art, Design, Media and Performance courses to exhibit their final year projects in the show which featured earlier this Summer.

After travelling the world as acircus performer, Eve, aged 30 from Newcastle-underLyme, decided to go back to university when the Covid-19 pandemic hit.

She said: “I worked in the creative industry for ten years and just wanted to create for creativity’s sake. Idropped out of unithe first time to run away with the circus and then Iran away from the circus to come back to uni.”

In the Fine Art gallery, Eve paid homage to her mum who studied the same subject at North Staffordshire Polytechnic in the 1970s. She recreated apainting that her mother produced, whilst pregnant withher.

The miniature abstract artwork of apregnant female form was carefully displayed on a museum-style plinth alongside Eve’s interpretation of the piece; alarge patchwork quilt that hung on thegallery wall.

Eve explained:“Going through this process I feel closer to my mum in adifferent wayand feel that Ihave learned more abouther.Iwanted to manufacture this heirloom to give back to her and decided to make aquilt because Ifelt that is domestic and homely.”

In another room, Eve recreated apiece of performance art that hermum made during the same period which was projectedontothe wall.

Originally featuring Eve’s mother and father with amusical accompaniment by aclose friend, these roleshave been reprisedbyEve, her partner and best friend who is also amusician with areworked version of the song.

Eve said: “When Icameinto my final year, I started thinking about theart performances that my mum told me about years ago and that there is no documentation of.Ihave these memories of memories that aren’t within my lived experience and Ihave this myth of my mother that revolves around being at this institution that Iamnow also at. “I was seeking connection with this mum that Ididn’t know before she became amum. I feel that she gave up art to be amother, so I wanted to remake one of her performances and gift it to her.”

Eve revealed her recreations to hermum during the Degree Show and filmed her reaction and their conversations.

She added: “I decided not to askmymum for any finer details, so I’ve made it based on this memory of are-telling. “What is interesting is that it will be wrong but it will be mine and it will be hers all at the same time.”