Mike Hartley Devon, United Kingdom

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A mixed media artist Designer/ Maker from the north east of england. I have BA hons degree in community arts from the university of Northumbria. An MA in design from Teesside university . Have been described as a polymath. employed as a mural artist. have designed built mackets for street theatre. have worked as a photographer at durham university and illustrated for publications.

I am a mixed media artist and have always been interested in exploring different mediums I view myself as a designer and maker as well as painter/illustrator. I enjoy exploring many different avenues of creativity from land art and nature based sculpture to painting and drawing the design and build of theatre sets and structures and installation based sculpture. Most recently creating automata and kinetic structures for exhibition interactive sound art. encouraging audiences to be a part of the artwork as the driver of movement as the activator if u like. I focused on 3D work and sculpture themes that refer to our relationship with technology and nature. . my most recent work is creating kinetic sound sculptures and automata from recycling materials. bringing objects together that have no more use or place and with unknown histories or stories but giving them new stories . I am dyslexic and on the autistic spectrum so this links to my experiences in society. I have developed as a designer and creator of decor and installation arts at outside art or alternative spaces. I feel they are a valuable context for art to be connected with and seen by people from all social backgrounds. My practice in all media has involved collaborations with other creatives and with mixed mediums exploring pushing the boundries of where and what form or context art can find to express itself. My practice is exploring forms of expressiing that cross media or incorporate multiple mediums.