A selection of framed artworks by mother and daughter Tricia Porter and Lauren Pruen.

ROOTS at St Bride Foundation is a follow-up to Tricia and Lauren’s debut collaborative exhibition ROOTS, which was displayed in Winchester, Hampshire in August 2024.

Inspired by the Hampshire landscape they are both fortunate to call home, the artists have endeavoured to capture the county’s diverse and fragile natural beauty through their artwork.

“We are delighted to bring our work to St Bride Foundation. It is a fantastic opportunity to share the quiet details of nature against a backdrop of busy city life.” Lauren Pruen

TRICIA PORTER
Tricia Porter’s passion for photography began as a teenager when she wanted to create an interesting visual account of her first trip abroad, a journey to Moscow and back with a busload of students in 1965.

While Tricia was studying pharmacy in London, her photographer friend Sylvester Jacobs saw her pictures and encouraged her to seriously pursue the art form. As a way of starting to learn this visual language Tricia and Sylvester attended seminars, visited the city’s exciting new Photographers’ Gallery, studied the work of well-known photographers and met other people working in the medium.

In 1972, Tricia went to Liverpool to work with writer David Porter. They collaborated on a project documenting the daily life and ‘village’ atmosphere of the blighted city centre, where David lived. Tricia and David married in 1973 and later moved to East Hampshire, where they raised two daughters and continued to pursue their careers in photography and writing.

Tricia’s subsequent work has included solo photography exhibitions, commissions and images for numerous publications. She has shared her passion for photography with a wide variety of people, leading many valuable community projects.

“For many years the majority of my work was done in monochrome using film. The digital revolution brought new and exciting possibilities, making working in colour far more accessible – and in 2006 I bought my first digital camera. Soon after that, one particular landscape image I made in colour (‘Winter Wheat’) inspired me to set about exploring and capturing the landscape surrounding my Hampshire home. “It’s exciting to be sharing our work at St Bride Foundation. We hope to inspire appreciation for the everydayness of our natural world.”

LAUREN PRUEN
Lauren was born and raised in East Hampshire. Having always known she wanted to make things, she studied Fine Art at Bath Spa University College, graduating in 2006. This led to invitations to exhibit work in London, Amsterdam and Paris.

After moving to London in 2007, Lauren wanted to shift her focus away from the traditional gallery circuit and work more directly with people. This desire manifested itself in achieving a Masters in Art Psychotherapy from the University of Hertfordshire. As an art therapist, Lauren worked with both adults and children in a variety of settings in London, including schools and hostels. Alongside her art therapy training she worked in horticulture, becoming an integral part of the creative team at an award-winning inner-city garden centre. This job would have a significant impact on her journey as an artist.

Lauren and her family relocated to Winchester in 2019 to put down their roots. Having taken a break from making artwork after having her two sons, she embarked on her Botanicals textile-sculpture series in 2022.

“I love making things and am fascinated by how they are created. By using craft and textiles as an art form, I can explore their rich social and historical connotations. My interests lie in the tensions between material, technique and subject matter and the opportunities these create to play with ideas and perceptions.

“Through my artwork, which also explores these themes in 3D sculptural form, I have been able to make sense of who I am and draw on my previous experiences. My love of plants, and a constant striving for balance, has played a significant part in what you see here today.”

[email protected]
www.porterfolio.com

[email protected]
www.laurenpruen.com