Matthew Raw: Tactile Change

About us

In Tactile Change, Matthew Raw discusses the societal challenges increasingly faced in a culture rife with seismic changes in outlook and behaviour. The project developed from research into a zoo once housed in Plymouth's Central Park. Taking the character of a travelling elephant as his starting point, Matthew wrote a short story for children, later inviting pupils from Plymouth School of Creative Arts to create their own elephant illustrations in response to the artist's story. The elephant is used to raise questions about journeying, migration, transience and containment within a pre and post Brexit landscape. A selection of the pupil's designs have been used by Matthew to create repeating motifs for which form a new semi-permanent installation in Central Park as part of Tactile Change.

Hands-on, labour intensive ceramic processes are present throughout the show: the artist demonstrates his commitment to making by hand as a vital creative skill and resource, fundamental to how we can understand and interact with the world. Collaboration, participation and social making have all come together to help form this body of work.

The semi-permanent installation in Central Park can be found along the main boulevard to the city.

Tactile Change is commissioned by The Gallery at Plymouth of Art in partnership with The Box. The project is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.