On Friday 20th Feb, we gathered in Studio 10 at East Quay, Watchet, to celebrate the opening of REFRACTION, a collaborative art and science exhibition. This project has been a joy to develop since May 2025, representing a unique contemporary art residency. The show features a diverse group of East Quay artists including Melanie Deegan, Amanda Shears, Georgina Towler, Vanessa Clegg, Sarah Ward, Sue Lowe, Zoe Snape, and myself – working alongside the environmental consultancy Geckoella.

The seeds of this project were sown when geologists Dr. Andy King and Dr. Dave Evans opened up their mineral and crystal collection to us. We spent months exploring the science of crystal formation and the geological structures that define our natural world. What followed was a hands-on, collaborative journey where we discovered the deep, compelling connections between geological science and creative practice.

Architectural Art: Windows into the Microscopic

One of the most exciting aspects of this site-specific art installation is how it has transformed the building’s architecture. If you walk past Geckoella’s workshop windows, you’ll see the results of a true interdisciplinary team effort.

The larger window now features a design of The Seven Primitive Crystal Systems, which appears to float above a Gabbro thin section image. This was conceived by geologist Jamie Foster and brought to life by ecologists Mireya García Tamayo and Allison Clarke under my guidance.

For the smaller entrance window, I developed Jamie’s petrographic microscope photography of rock thin sections into luminous window vinyl installations. When illuminated from within after dark, these microscopic rock sections look like distant galaxies, revealing the architectural scale of mineralogy that is usually hidden from the naked eye. These thin sections in geology are essential tools for building stone investigations, but here, they become high-concept art.

Inside Studio 10: Painting, Sculpture, and Film

Inside the gallery, you’ll find an eclectic mix of painting and sculpture that responds to our shared curiosity.

• Zoe Snape has contributed delicate watercolours exploring the meaning of Amazonite crystals, a turquoise stone traditionally associated with hope.
• Georgina Towler’s masterful painting, Paint.specting.ing, examines the act of developing a painting practice through the lens of environmental experience.
• My own piece, Take with a Pinch of Salt, features salt crystal formations grown with pages from a discredited memoir to question the narrative of truth in art.
  
  

REFRACTION is an invitation to look closer at the wonderful world of crystals. The exhibition runs from 21 February – 29 March 2026.

This month I will be running an art and science workshop for the scientists at Geckoella. We will dive deeper into the fertile ground where creative thinking and scientific endeavour meet. Inspired no less by the Refraction Exhibition.