Life on the other side of the plinth

The last weekend in October was an opportunity for me to experience life from the other side of the plinth as an installation artist at Art& York at York Racecourse. There were over 120 artists showcasing work in a wide range of media, alongside eleven installation artists. All the artists went through a selection procedure so I was thrilled to be accepted to show my work amongst such fantastic art, design and craft. The quality was superb.
The three days of Art& were exhausting but gave me a fascinating insight into showing work at an art fair. Visitors left some heartfelt comments in my dementia comments book about how the disease had affected them, and one woman felt compelled to give me a hug because I'd conveyed through art what dementia meant to her.

My dementia artwork 'Lost for Words' is an attempt to enter the silent darkness and convey the effects of dementia. This photo was taken after installation set-up and before the selling artists came to fill their stands with texture, colour and form.

Taken from the stairs leading up to the Mezzanine and looking back down towards the pillars you can just make out my dementia art work in amongst the visitors. In the foreground, Lu Mason's installation work can be seen suspended from the 2nd floor.