The Formation of the Universe

To realise his works, Whipps often draws on specialist expertise from beyond his field such as horticulture and geology, leading to the acquisition of new technical skills and knowledge that he applies in various ways, often with other people. The artist’s current body of work explores extraction in both a literal and metaphorical sense and focuses on connecting stories about the places we create and inhabit with the people who work and live in them. Whipps has made work around these ideas in locations across the world, including Las Pozas, Mexico, Les Baux-de-Provence, France, and Göschenen, Switzerland. His studio residency will extend this interest in connected stories through a focus on the geology of the Black Country, an area in the West Midlands spanning Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton that was designated a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2020. The area’s geology spans 428 million years and is well known for its exceptional fossils, varied landscapes and importance as a mineral-rich place of discovery and invention at the centre of the Industrial Revolution.

During his residency, Whipps will visit geosites across the Walsall Borough, including Barr Beacon, Brownhills Mining Heritage Monument, Hay Head Wood LNR and Walsall Arboretum, gathering material to bring back to the studio, including research about the history of fossil collecting in the area and anecdotal material from the people and communities who use the sites today. This fieldwork will lead to the creation of new analogue and digital film and photographic works that connect stories, places and materials in the Black Country.