Author: Rachel Sved

This month, we had the opportunity to chat to North Cornwall-based artists Alastair and Fleur Mackie about the duo’s exhibition Projected Outcomes, currently on show at KARST. 

Please introduce yourselves.

We are a collaborative artist duo based in Cornwall. Alastair grew up in a farming community in South Cornwall, while Fleur’s childhood was spent between Cameroon, France, and the UK. We met at art school in London in the late ’90s, and our individual practices gradually evolved into a close collaboration. Since relocating to North Cornwall in 2011, the landscape has become central to our work – shaping both our thinking and material vocabulary. Our practice tends to begin with found materials – objects shaped by natural processes or displaced by human activity.

All works featured in Projected Outcomes include found or repurposed materials from the coastline. Tell us about the process of selecting and gathering these materials.

Our process is slow and observational – a long-term engagement with place that is as much about noticing as it is about collecting. We spend time walking the same stretches of coast repeatedly, looking for materials that carry evidence of their own history: how they’ve traveled, where they’ve come to rest, and what forces have shaped them. These materials often arrive with the tide and are selected as much for the questions they raise as for their physical qualities. Gathering becomes a way of thinking and of developing a deeper relationship with the broader ecological, industrial, and cultural systems that brought these objects into being.\

When configuring works within the landscape, such as Four Stacks (2024) and With The Past On The Left And The Future On The Right (2023), to what extent do the surroundings dictate the finished work?

The surroundings are fundamental – they’re not just a backdrop but an active participant in the work. In both cases, the forms and arrangements were shaped by and in direct response to their sites, working with the terrain, light, weather, and the specific qualities of each location. We think of these interventions as temporary alignments – formed in dialogue with the place and recorded at a specific moment in time. The landscape determines the form the work takes, while the work gives something back to the landscape in return.

How does the gallery context shape the meaning of works on show at KARST?

The gallery setting removes the stimuli of the wider environment, allowing the material relationships and embedded ideas within the works to come forward. We see the gallery as a kind of frame – not neutral, but focused and quietly charged – that supports this shift in attention and enables a different way of reading the works, both in relation to one another and to broader themes.

Do you prefer making work within the landscape or in the studio?

Each serves a different but complementary purpose. The landscape gives us material, context, and perspective – it’s where the questions emerge. The studio offers a place to reflect, refine, test relationships, and draw connections. The two are in constant dialogue, but our work begins in the landscape and that’s where we prefer to be. It has a grounding effect, opening the mind and creating space for new ideas to take shape.

Where do you see your practice moving next?

We want to spend more time with these ideas – following threads we’ve already begun, and giving unresolved works the time they need to unfold. Preparing Projected Outcomes has helped us tune in more closely to this body of work, and we want to build on that momentum. We’re particularly interested in how the work might open up different kinds of dialogue – both in the landscape and outside conventional exhibition formats.

Projected Outcomes is on view until 26 July (Wed–Sat, 11am–5pm).  Alastair and Fleur Mackie will be in conversation with KARST’s Head of Programme Ben Borthwick on 12 July (12–1pm).

Maisy Timney and Jemima Mansell (left to right) have come to the end of their graduate residency. We asked them to reflect on their experience having a studio at KARST and presenting the work they developed over the residency in their Test Space.

How has having a studio at KARST changed how you work as an artist?

Maisy Timney: I developed a pattern of working in intense bursts, traveling to Plymouth for focused periods each week before stepping away and returning with a fresh perspective. This cycle has changed my approach, allowing me to start new paintings each time and make clearer decisions about my work. Without the input of tutors or peers, I’ve learned to trust my own instincts, which has been a really valuable experience and made my work feel more autobiographical.

Jemima Mansell: Having a studio at KARST has given me the freedom to develop my practice further since graduating. With the independence of having my own studio, I have adopted a looser way of working which puts more focus on process rather than outcome. This has excelled the rate at which I make work and encouraged me to be more explorative with the materials and methods I incorporate within my practice.

How was your experience of Test Space?

MT: Test Space was a valuable experience that allowed me to see my work outside the studio and in a formal setting. It was exciting to observe how the public engaged with my paintings and to gain insight from their questions and reactions. Seeing a selection of the paintings I made during the residency in Test Space gave me the perspective on how they function together as a series of finished works. Having support from technicians was really helpful in the installation, allowing me to present my work in a way I hadn’t done before.

JM: Test Space was critical for my work development as it gave me the opportunity to see how the visual language of my work changes from the studio to a white space. By giving the work space I was able to see what components of the work interested me the most and what I could do moving forward in my practice. I think having a Test Space rather than an exhibition was more beneficial as it took pressure off having to make work which is more resolved. Had there been a final exhibition rather than a test space, I think I would have felt more confined in what I was doing in the studio as I would have been making work to achieve a particular outcome.

What is next for your practice?

MT: I’m continuing to develop my painting practice, building on the experimentation and knowledge I gained while making at KARST. With a new studio lined up, I’m eager to see how this change in environment influences my work and leads to organic shifts in my approach. While the body of work I created at KARST will inform my next steps, I’m excited to explore new ideas and start a new series of paintings. My practice will also evolve in response to a new space and context.

JM: In the immediate future, I have plans to develop digital installations and video based work using programming software I have learnt during this residency, as I continue my research regarding the intimacy and vitality of technology. I am also currently searching for opportunities more local to me in Exeter to enable me to continue my practice as well as build networks in Exeter’s creative community as I have done in Plymouth.

What piece of advice would you give to the next set of KARST Graduate Residents?

MT: When you’re in the studio, try to fully focus on your practice without too many distractions – let it be the main thing occupying your mind. You don’t always need a set plan for what you’re going to make, and it’s important not to give yourself too many rules. The residency is a great opportunity to experiment, take risks, and enjoy the process of making.

JM: I would advise the next Graduate Residents to play with ideas as much as you can and not to focus on the outcome of the residency too much. Although It can be a bit daunting at first, you have the freedom to make whatever you want and a great studio to do it in, which is a really great position to be in!

This March, two studios will become available at KARST and Under (the unit below KARST’s main space). We are inviting applications from artists interested in joining KARST’s community. Applicants are judged on individual needs and scope for progression. Priority is given to artists who are able to evidence a sustained practice and potential for further development within their work.

Studio Facilities & membership

• 24 hour access
• Kitchen facilities
• Communal social area 
• Meeting / conference room and library (on request)
• Access to technical equipment 
• Access to roller doors for loading
• Artist links on KARST website & social media
• Opportunities for studio visits / critique with art professionals 
• Limited number of allocated parking spaces

Studio details

Studio 07  (KARST): Individual, 2.1m x 4.4m at price £115.50

Studio 16  (Under): Individual, 2m x 3m at price £90

Cost is inclusive of VAT & business rates, Wi-Fi, and utility bills including electric and water.

Access and facilities

KARST: Studio entrance includes a set of 4 stairs. Once inside the building, KARST is on one level with accessible facilities. Accessible entrance to the building is via the gallery entrance which includes a wheelchair platform lift. This point of entry is limited to public opening hours and by appointment.

Under: Studio entrance includes one step into the building. Once inside the building, the space under KARST is on one level with accessible facilities and a roller shutter for loading. There is no central heating within the space, however an electric heater will be provided.

Applicants are considered on the basis of

• An active and critically engaged art practice
• The clarity of direction of their work
• Already established networks within and beyond Plymouth
• Evidently exhibiting work on a regional, national or international level
• Willingness to proactively participate in regular studio meetings and peer sessions
• A commitment of at least 16 hours per week to on site studio practice
• How their practice contributes to the current community of studio artists
• Progression since graduation where relevant

Key dates

• Deadline: 14th February 2024
• Notification: 19th February  2024
• Tenancy begins: 1st March  2024

Application form

All applications must include a completed application form with supporting information, such as images, relevant links, artist CV and appropriate references based on the selection criteria. All applicants are encouraged to visit our website or arrange a meeting with staff or residents before applying to find out the suitability of the studio in relation to their practice.

For more information and to discuss your application contact studio@karst.org.uk.