Exhibition: The Spike

Art inspired by research on Helston workhouse covering social justice, patriarchy and misogyny.

Following research at Kresen Kernow into the Poor Union workhouse at Helston, Terrye Teverson has sought to give voice to the underlying issues of patriarchy, misogyny and social justice. A body of work has evolved based on these themes and inspired by Frances Moyle, the work house nurse in 1887.

The exhibition will use the original Minutes from the meetings held by the Guardians of the workhouse to highlight attitudes towards the poor in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. An old photograph from 1930 of the Guardians seated in front of the Poor Union workhouse has provided inspiration for a series of paintings, especially the rather ghostly image of a nurse looking out on the scene from an upstairs window.

Terrye seeks to give a voice to those who were silenced by combining traditional artistic techniques with modern technology, layering oil paint on digital collages, and stone carving.

“I aim to ask my audience to think critically about the world we currently live in within the context of past injustices.”