Katrina Jones
Cannington Shaw Bottle Factory
Many derelict buildings today risk being lost forever due to neglect and decay. Katrina Jones's Ruin series investigates 'the contemporary ruin'. She specifically studies the 'Cannington Shaw No. 7 Bottle Factory' in St Helens, which is listed as an 'at risk' building.
This ruin has been engulfed by vegetation, which prompted her to look more deeply at the concept of ruination. She wants her paintings to bring awareness to this local ruin as this site, although surrounded by people daily, can be disregarded due to its location.
Her paintings depict what she envisions as a conflict between nature and the man-made environment. The vegetation symbolises the regrowth of a once-natural environment.
The overgrowth overwhelms the derelict building. It is a part of our history. Katrina's goal is to freeze time and preserve a historic building as it currently stands. The work of John Piper, Paul Nash and Juliette Losq inspire her practice.