Judith Campbell is more likely to be found alone in a wild place than at a gathering: and so too with her art. Most of her work is sited in wilderness to honour the nature of the place. These covert works of art, mostly of natural materials, are often never seen before they have been reclaimed by the seasons and the environment.
When it is discovered, the intense spiritual content often leads to appreciation by others. A diptych made to express the sadness of a large area of heath land destroyed by fire was bought by the worshippers of Salthouse Church, renamed as ‘The Crown Of Thorns’ and placed in the altar space as a meditation on their faith. A piece made in response to the same event was selected for a major exhibition at Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery.
Founded on sound art education and orientation, Judith Campbell’s work is not predictable. The directors of Kelling Heath Holiday Park were bemused when a commission led to using bright red tree guards rather than the natural materials they anticipated. The resultant land art covered acres of land and became probably the largest work of art ever created in Norfolk. The directors were delighted when the work inspired two minutes of coverage in the regional television’s prime time newscast and two full page reports in newspapers.
Of Judith’s work, Amanda Geitner, then Curator of Exhibitions at The Sainsbury Centre, University of East Anglia spoke warmly. Some extracts follow: ‘Judith’s work is so specifically about place, and is evocatively beautiful … referencing so many human traditions of binding … (it has) an animated liveliness … so beautifully made it looks as if it could dance away to freedom.’
