Stella Tripp - Box Set

Passing underneath the Blackfriars Bridge on this cold and damp Friday morning reminds me just how atmospheric this part of London can be as it changes its covers from being a hotspot for tourists and theatre goers to a mysterious and isolated part of the river walk during those in between times of the day and night……eerie and then back to being a part of the commuter stretch into and out of work mode.

Social Advent no.13 - near Blackfriars station 

Here we find our next Cardboard City artist; Stella Tripp just a coin roll from Blackfrairs station suspended in mid air thanks to the intuitively minded Alban Low. 

Stella shares with us her piece; 'Box Set', which sounds like a suitable gift for any occasion or is this just a play on words? 

Born in Somerset, Stella trained locally before attending Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts where she went on to lecture part-time. At the

Stella Tripp - Box Set

beginning of the eighties Stella travelled to America, Illinois where she developed much of her over arching themes and work practices, such as the decision to stop using rectangular stretched canvases and instead building makeshift constructions to paint on. These better reflected her situation and state of mind. She wrote a thesis exploring the nature of art by comparing art from different cultures and was excited by the possibilities that surface when exploring the nature of art in the light of cultural and societal conditioning: "things don’t have to be as they are; anything goes; anything is possible".

Opening the Door on Stella Tripp

This kind of open minded belief is something that was very close to the heart of our Social Advent call out and is one of the qualities underpinning our inclusive ethos. It's also a great way to share a gift with the wider community - perhaps offering an alternative to getting caught up in the maelstrom of wrapping whilst sharing our best wishes with loved ones…..

SJS