In the Studio with Lotti V Closs
On the 23rd May 2022, we took an exciting road trip through the beautiful Peak District countryside to collect Lotti’s finished sculpture. Lotti lives and works in Manchester, from a studio based at Paradise Works. The studio boasts gallery and project space as well as being home to 37 other contemporary visual artists. Set in a wonderful old factory and sitting across the road from an inspiring community garden, the building invites curiosity with vibrant artwork on display throughout. Lotti’s studio is a relatively new space that already feels like home. With a delicate balance of home comforts and workspace, the room is adorned with unexpected materials, tools, equipment and various intriguing works in progress.
Seeing the sculpture in the space in which it was created was absolutely delightful. Lotti has worked to create something truly magical that really uplifts the concept behind Thortify and our project; The Art of Self Care. Lotti has considered the different layers of human needs and the careful placement and balance of each layer. Viewed individually, each layer has it’s own character, identify and form, but when placed together; they create a sculpture representative of our own precarious relationship with self care.
“Safety and Security” Lotti V Closs 2022
“Love and belonging” Lotti V Closs 2022
“Self Esteem” Lotti V Closs 2022
“Physiological Needs” Lotti V Closs 2022
In Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Maslow argued that all other needs must be met in order for humans to strive for or achieve self actualisation. He describes self actualisation as being the ‘peak of human potential’, yet the way we define this ‘peak experience’ differs from person to person. There are often indicators of what this might mean for us, based on our individual interests, talents and values.
Self actualisation is often thought to include creativity itself, in addition to knowledge, spirituality, spontaneity and self fulfilment. Cleverly depicted by Lotti as a spherical object sitting atop the other layers, with faint washes of colour. It is distinct from it’s foundations yet pivotal in showing the transient, complex and abstract nature of what it represents.
Lotti’s ability to mould this almost intangible concept has really helped to bring our project to life, providing a physical portrayal on which we can build our Self Care Workbook. Currently in development, this workbook will be full of creative self care activities to explore, helping you to personalise your own hierarchy.
Peace and paintbrushes
Lauren
“Self Actualisation” Lotti V closs 2022
Final sculpture by Lotti V Closs 2022
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