Tamsin MacArthur

I have a thirsty fish in me that can never find enough of what it's thirsty for.

The GSA Graduate Residency Award began in 2022, funded by Friends of GSA. Saltspace was invited to preview the GSA BA(Hons) Degree Show and shortlisted 11 different artists from Painting & Printmaking, Sculpture & Environmental Art and Photography. Each shortlisted graduate was given a free year long graduate membership and invited to submit a proposal for a three week funded residency with SaltSpace to take place in 2024/25 in our new studios at Dornoch Street and a chance to present their work in an exhibition at SaltSpace gallery. 
Tamsin MacArthur from Fine Art Sculpture and Environmental Art was the successful winner of the award. Tamsin was given a studio residency at our Dornoch Street studios and funding to work towards an exhibition at the new Saltspace Gallery later in the year.
TAMSIN MACARTHUR:

Tamsin MacArthur is a multi-media artist based in Glasgow. Within her work she explores dialogues of belief and the ‘actual’, and action and reaction, and frequently works in response to spiritual and mythological ideas in the framework of an increasingly nihilistic western modernity.

Her work often begins site-specifically, anthropomorphising a place or thing and exploring the narratives and folk history. She’s fascinated by the role of meaning seeking as part of the human experience, and specifically explores objects, places and ideas which have been assigned with sacredness. For many years her work has explored already fated outcomes and the inevitabilities of failure. Much of her work attempts to dance with failure, exploring gestures and themes of the cyclical, inevitability, naivety and futility. But currently, and in her degree show work she was increasingly interested in the importance of belief and hopefulness, naivety and optimism. Often referencing Candide the Optimist and Sisyphus as symbols of these ideas. Her degree show work showed her going on a pilgrimage from Glasgow to the Holy Isles ‘Molaises Cave’ with a coracle on her back.

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EXHIBITION PHOTOS BY MATTHEW BARNES